Obituary: Erickson, Elaine Reidel
She died on July 3, 2015.
Elaine was a Spokane resident for 61 years.
She was the only child of Carl Julius Wigdahl and Lena Emelia Westrum.
While living in ND for 21 years, Elaine played the organ for her church on Sundays and won the state music teacher’s contest in piano performance.
Elaine graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in Home Economics (Dietitian emphasis).
She was also four college queens (including Homecoming and Jack Frost Queen) her senior year.
She married her long-time boyfriend Mayo Hallsten Erickson in St. Louis, Missouri on September 25, 1943 and were together for 65 years until his death in 2008.
Mom would laugh as she mentioned that she was two and he was five when they first met.
She also played “paper dolls” with his sister Jean.
During the war, Elaine lived in Edmonton and Dawson Creek, Canada while Mayo traveled north along the Alaskan Highway as a dentist in the army.
After WWII, the couple lived in ND for a year when their first son Steve was born and then settled in Richland, WA where Mayo was a dentist for the Atomic Energy Commission at Hanford.
Two more children were born (Camille and Douglas) in Richland before the family moved to Spokane, WA in 1954.
Elaine was a busy homemaker and mother to five children (Eric and Todd were born in Spokane) while her husband practiced dentistry.
She was active in the community as well: Children’s Theater Board, volunteer on voting day at the polls, St. Luke’s Hospital volunteer for 21 years, docent for Campbell House 22 years and a member of two Bridge groups.
She had a passion for flowers/gardening and was a member of the Rockwood Garden Club, managing “the plot.”
She was also a long time member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.
Survivors include: one daughter and four sons: Camille Haskins (Curtiss and Eric), Steve and Karen Erickson (Juliana, Connor, and Annaka) of Outlook, WA, Doug and Leslie Erickson (Mark and Jillian) of Woodinville, WA, Eric and Temple Erickson of Fripp Island, South Carolina and Dr. Todd and Anne Erickson (Luke) of Phoenix, AZ.
A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, July 22nd at 1 PM in the Forum at Touchmark Retirement Community, 2929 S. Waterford Dr. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 316 East 24th Ave., Spokane, WA 99203 (509-747-6677).
An October Memorial Service will be held in Sheyenne, North Dakota.