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Obituary
Dorothy May Erickson passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at the Bethesda Nursing Home in Beresford, SD at the age of 92 years, 11 months and 19 days.
She was born to Einar and Naomi (Larsen) Carlson on May 13, 1925 on the family farm in Clay County, South Dakota. She attended Ash Creek rural school and graduated from Beresford High School in 1943.
Following her graduation, she moved to live with her sister Lee in Omaha, Nebraska. She worked for Barnett and Ramell Optical Company for two years assembling eyeglasses. She moved to Sioux Falls in 1945, where she worked for Farmers Union Oil Company as a bookkeeper. In 1947, she met Rockley Erickson, her future husband through her sister Avis's beau Palmer. After caring for her three children until the youngest was in high school, she began working for Dakota Industries in Alcester, and in 1975, she moved to Friedland Industries, later to become Raven Industries in Beresford. She finally retired at the age of 75.
She was united in marriage to Rockley on January 30, 1948 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Beresford. They established their home on a farm in the Roseni Community south of Beresford with a view of the Roseni Church to the east. She was a longtime member of Roseni Lutheran Church and participated in Ladies' Aid and many other church activities. She was also a longtime member of the "Opti Mrs." extension club.
Rockley and Dorothy bought a house in Beresford in 1982. After Rockley's passing in April of 1990, Dorothy continued to reside there until 2008, when she moved to a smaller residence. In 2015, she moved to the Bethesda Nursing Home.
Dorothy enjoyed sharing coffee and meals with family and friends and was an exceptional baker and cook. She always kept her freezer and cookie jar stocked with chocolate chip and sugar cookies. Her brownies were requested for all special family occasions, and her Swedish meatballs were required by her grandchildren at every gathering. She was a very talented seamstress having sewn much of the clothing for herself and Myrna.
Dorothy is survived by her sons, Tom (Linda) Erickson, Curt (Judy) Erickson and daughter, Myrna (Bryon) Itterman; nine grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, sisters Leneya Evans, Alyce Selle and brother Marvin Carlson.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, sister Avis Antonson, and brother, Emerald Carlson, brothers-in-law, Palmer Antonson, Morris Selle, Oral Evans and sister-in-law, Marlene (Marvin) Carlson.
Visitation for Dorothy will start at 7PM Sunday, May 6, 2018 at Wass Funeral Home in Beresford, SD. Funeral services will be 2PM Monday, May 7th at Roseni Lutheran Church, rural Beresford with burial to follow at the church cemetery.
She was born to Einar and Naomi (Larsen) Carlson on May 13, 1925 on the family farm in Clay County, South Dakota. She attended Ash Creek rural school and graduated from Beresford High School in 1943.
Following her graduation, she moved to live with her sister Lee in Omaha, Nebraska. She worked for Barnett and Ramell Optical Company for two years assembling eyeglasses. She moved to Sioux Falls in 1945, where she worked for Farmers Union Oil Company as a bookkeeper. In 1947, she met Rockley Erickson, her future husband through her sister Avis's beau Palmer. After caring for her three children until the youngest was in high school, she began working for Dakota Industries in Alcester, and in 1975, she moved to Friedland Industries, later to become Raven Industries in Beresford. She finally retired at the age of 75.
She was united in marriage to Rockley on January 30, 1948 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Beresford. They established their home on a farm in the Roseni Community south of Beresford with a view of the Roseni Church to the east. She was a longtime member of Roseni Lutheran Church and participated in Ladies' Aid and many other church activities. She was also a longtime member of the "Opti Mrs." extension club.
Rockley and Dorothy bought a house in Beresford in 1982. After Rockley's passing in April of 1990, Dorothy continued to reside there until 2008, when she moved to a smaller residence. In 2015, she moved to the Bethesda Nursing Home.
Dorothy enjoyed sharing coffee and meals with family and friends and was an exceptional baker and cook. She always kept her freezer and cookie jar stocked with chocolate chip and sugar cookies. Her brownies were requested for all special family occasions, and her Swedish meatballs were required by her grandchildren at every gathering. She was a very talented seamstress having sewn much of the clothing for herself and Myrna.
Dorothy is survived by her sons, Tom (Linda) Erickson, Curt (Judy) Erickson and daughter, Myrna (Bryon) Itterman; nine grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, sisters Leneya Evans, Alyce Selle and brother Marvin Carlson.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, sister Avis Antonson, and brother, Emerald Carlson, brothers-in-law, Palmer Antonson, Morris Selle, Oral Evans and sister-in-law, Marlene (Marvin) Carlson.
Visitation for Dorothy will start at 7PM Sunday, May 6, 2018 at Wass Funeral Home in Beresford, SD. Funeral services will be 2PM Monday, May 7th at Roseni Lutheran Church, rural Beresford with burial to follow at the church cemetery.
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