Betty Jean Erickson

Betty Erickson was born in 1923 and died surrounded by family on January 26, 2021. She had one sister and two half-brothers. She was married to Richard Erickson for over 54 years and raised nine children. She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister, her husband, and two sons.  She is survived by her brothers, children, and her gaggle of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She regularly updated a “brag wall,” composed of framed pictures of each one of her kids’ families that encircled the top of her bedroom walls like crown moulding.

Betty/Mom/Gramma earned her B.A. in 1945 and her M.A. in 1952.  Her life was dedicated to teaching, particularly teaching children to read.  She taught all of her grandkids how to read (Thanks, Gramma!).  She was a published author of several early readers books, and while she was a resident of the Westminster community, she wrote and directed two Kitchen Band productions each year.  She had a razor sharp wit, made new friends effortlessly, and welcomed everyone with open arms and a smile.  Never content to sit still or let her mind go soft, she overcame her fear of water and learned to swim, and also learned to paint with watercolors in her late-80’s. She was quite computer savvy and taught herself how to get around Zoom when the pandemic shut down most in-person visiting.

She was the matriarch of the whole Erickson clan, and we are all so sad that she won’t send another birthday card (she remembered EVERY ONE), or return an email, or write a hand-written letter to one of her great-grandchildren learning to read and write, or host another family meal. Her children will remember a stern, no-nonsense, practical mother who birthed eight children in ten years, while their father was often away on temporary duty for the Air Force.  Her grandchildren will remember her giant hugs, and her attempts at holding them when they were much too heavy for her at the top of her stairs, and for her delicious oatmeal raisin cookies that always filled her cookie jar. At just five feet tall, it was a big day for each of her grandkids when they surpassed her in height. Her students will remember her as a fun and warm teacher who always encouraged and fought for them.  Her friends at Westminster will remember her as young-at-heart despite being one of the oldest members there in age.  She kept her license and drove that silver Volkswagen Beetle long past everyone else, walked the farthest, and wrangled that Kitchen Band into an evening of greatly anticipated entertainment, which brought the whole facility together twice a year. Yes, she will be missed, but she certainly has left a legacy of memories to everyone who knew her.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at a future date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to either St. Jude’s or to the Wounded Warrior Project.