Kenneth Marvin 'Ken' Erickson

Kenneth (Ken) Marvin Erickson was born the second child of Gustav and Hilda (Holter) Erickson, on May 3, 1925 in Bruce, SD. He attended country school, finishing 8th grade, and after his fathers passing, farmed with his uncles to help provide for his mother and siblings. In November of 1942 at the age of 17, and with his mothers permission, he proudly enlisted in the United States Navy to serve the country that he loved so much and to continue to provide for his family. He was discharged in October of 1945 and returned home to Bruce where he again worked for his uncles but his heart belonged to the Navy, and he reenlisted in January of 1947 and spent the next 26 years proudly serving his country, serving on many ships and destroyers, earning many medals and awards and visiting many countries and also being a Naval Recruiter until his honorable discharge in December of 1973 with the rank of GMG1. He was very proud of his service years and that was evident by the many stories he told his family and many friends. He loves recounting his military years and we all loved listening to his stories. Ken never thought he would marry and have a family of his own, but that all changed when he met Lois Pedersen. They married on May 3, 1963 in Worthington, MN and he became a father to her two wonderful boys Gary and David. After some time they returned to South Dakota and were blessed with three daughters, Laureen and twins LeAnn and DeAnn. Ken, Lois and the girls made their home in Worthington, MN where he was employed as a maintenance man and eventually made their home in Mt. Lake where he was employed at Butterfield Foods in the maintenance department. He loved his job and was a hard working man. His life centered around taking care of those he loved. Ken retired from his job after 34 years but worked part time until the age of 81. In 1992, Ken lost his loving wife of 29 years. He missed her dearly and often talked of joining her one day.He enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, trying to win the lottery and sharing his many Navy stories. In April of 2014 Ken entered the Jackson Good Samaritan Village and later was transferred to the Good Sam in Mt.Lake where he was loved and wonderfully cared for until his passing. Ken is survived by his children Gary (Glenda) Pedersen and David (Delona) Pedersen all of Brookings, SD, Laureen (Wayne) Dick of Mt.Lake, LeAnn (Curtis) Riihl of Medford, MN and DeAnn Wright and fiance Paul Sherwood of Mason City, IA, 13 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. One brother Duane Erickson of Flandreau, SD, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Lois, sisters Marcy, Vivian, Delores and Viola and one brother Wilbur. We will remember Ken for his kindness, his sense of humor, his positiveness and love for life. Visitation 1 9:00 am - 11:00 am Monday, August 17, 2015 Trinity Lutheran Church-Mountain Lake 1418 - 2nd Avenue Mountain Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159 Service Information 11:00 am Monday, August 17, 2015 Trinity Lutheran Church-Mountain Lake 1418 - 2nd Avenue Mountain Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159 Interment Information Mountain Lake City Cemetery 10th St. N at Midway Rd Mountain Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159 Military Honors will be provided by the Butterfield VFW Honor Guard. Reception Lunch and fellowship will be in the church fellowship hall following burial.