Joe Erickson with his wife Betty (Franek) in November 2001 at the United Methodist Thanksgiving supper.
Joe Erickson was born on November 12, 1908 in Harris, Minnesota. He passed away peacefully in his home on March 15, 2007, at the age of 98 years and 4 months. In the span of his lifetime, the world has changed immensely and there have been many dramatic developments.
He was the last son of Swedish immigrant parents, Anders Gustav and Helga Strom Erickson and had seven brothers and sisters. His growing up years were spent in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, where his family farmed. Joe was 21 years old in 1929, the year of the big stock market crash. During the depression years, he worked in Missouri and Illinois. In 1932 he married Mabel Carter from Kingston, Missouri, and they continued to live in the area while he worked on bridge-building projects.
In 1935 they were able to purchase an 80 acre farm near Grantsburg, at Freya. Here Joe began his lifetime career of farming, using his abilities to improve the buildings and the farm. He used what he had learned about concrete and building to remodel the house and built two concrete silos "from scratch", including all the staves.
In 1946, he bought a larger farm in Deer Park - 160 acres this time. Eventually he was able to double the size of the farm and in 1951 he quit dairy farming and switched to raising beef and hogs. He was always innovative in his farming and was the first farmer in the area to pave his feed lot. He also had the first Harvestore silos in the area. In the mid-1950's he was chosen Amery's Outstanding Farmer of the Year.
For more than 20 years after moving to Deer Park, the family attended the Covenant Church in Star Prairie. Joe was involved in helping with rebuilding after the church burned down in 1947, as well as the building of the parsonage. He also sang in a male quartet and was church board chairman for a few years.
In 1973 Joe retired from farming and he and Mabel built a new home on the 10 acres they kept after selling the farm. In retirement, Joe put his many abilities to use and had many projects and hobbies. He began doing extensive woodworking projects and became a fine craftsman. He enjoyed being creative and no two pieces were made exactly alike. Most were made from oak and cherry wood from his own farm. He also enjoyed skeet shooting, fishing and hunting for many years.
Joe and Mabel had five children: Elaine Martin (Dan - deceased), Lloyd (deceased), Carol Penner (Alan), June Ryan (Terry - deceased), Sam (Barb) and Ken. They had 5 grandchildren: Todd, Kurt and Lisa (deceased) Penner; Jason Erickson (Wendy) and Jill Stabenow (Mick). There are 8 great-grandchildren: Drew, Melissa, Rebecca and Terry Penner; Jake and Jax Erickson, Elias and Avery Rose Stabenow. After 48 years of marriage, Mabel passed away in 1980.
Joe was fortunate to meet Betty Franek (of Phillips, Wisconsin) and in 1982 they married. Betty wholeheartedly joined Joe in is life in his Deer Park home and they had 22 years of caring for one another. Betty passed away in November of 2004. The past 2 years, Joe has enjoyed living in his own apartment in the home Sam and Barb had built on his old farm. We will all miss him but are thankful for the many reminders of him through his handiwork.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 23, 2007, at 11 a.m. from the Methodist Church in Deer Park, WI. Visitation will be held Thursday evening, March 22, 2007, from 5 to 8 p.m. and also one hour prior to the funeral service.
Arrangements were made by the Williamson Funeral Home in Amery (715) 268-7111.
(Amery Free Press - Tuesday, March 20, 2007)
(New Richmond News - Thursday, March 22, 2007)
Burial at Calvary Cemetery of Deer Park at a later date.
