Edwin Erickson

OBITUARY Edwin Lester Erickson was born on January 20, 1920 on a farm near Nelson, MN, the son of Gust and Ellen (Swedberg) Erickson. He attended grade school in Nelson and helped out on the family farm. Ed?s first job after leaving the farm Homestead was operating a Skelly Gas Station on the corner of third and Nokomis in Alexandria. He was then called into the service for WW2 and served in the US Army in reconnaissance in Europe, Italy, Germany and Africa. After returning from the war he was a member of the Alexandria Police force. Soon after Edwin moved back to Alexandria he was united in marriage to Florella Alice Gease on September 19, 1948 in St. John?s Lutheran Church in Garfield, MN. He then had the chance to buy the New Caf� a restaurant on sixth Avenue East in Alexandria. Later he sold the New Caf� and went to work for the Ford Dealer in Alexandria and sold cars and fleet trucks in the area. Ed was offered a job to manage the Holiday Station in Alex and for years he did until the Holiday Companies offer him the District Manager position. Ed oversaw and managed many stations in central MN and the eastern Dakotas. After retirement he and his wife Florella started a lawn care business and took care of many area lawns and oversaw the maintained of summer homes in the lakes area. Ed loved to mow grass and loved his Simplicity Tractor. ?Orange was good, green was bad?, a quote Ed would say to make clear of his dislike for John Deere lawn tractors. Ed enjoyed fishing and snowmobiling in Yellowstone over the years. Ed and his wife enjoyed traveling and wintered in Florida. Ed was a principle founder of Viking Savings Association. He was involved with Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs of Alexandria and a member of the American Legion Post #87 and VFW Post #936. Ed loved spending time with family and friends and will be missed by those who knew and loved him. Edwin L. Erickson died on March 4, 2009 at Knute Nelson in Alexandria at the age of 89 years. He is survived by his son Bruce and Jill Erickson of Alexandria; grandson Jacob Erickson of St. Cloud, MN; great grandson Thomas Erickson of St. Cloud, MN; sister Dorothy Shoemaker of Minneapolis, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Roy, Raymond, and Reuben; sisters Florence, Myrtle, Edythe, and Ethel. A funeral was held on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at Zion Lutheran Church with the Reverend Terry Finnern and David Hinz officiating. Mertice Brueske was the organist and Annetta Knowles was the soloist. Interment was in the Evergreen Cemetery. Casket Bearers were Kenneth Schief, Steve Graybill, Harvey Erickson, George Hauer, Brian Gease, Wayne Gease. Honorary Casket Bearers were Henry Berghuis Don Hustad, Alvin Tvrdic, Armond Gease, Earl Gease, Neal Huemoeller and John Knowles. Arrangements are with the Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria. www.andersonfuneral.net