Douglas Erickson, 59
Published 12:00 am Friday, July 16, 2010
Douglas Daniel Erickson, 59, of Muscatine, Iowa, died July 13, 2010, at his home.
Funeral Service will be 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 24, 2010, at the First Lutheran Church, 140 Third Avenue SW, Glenville. Honorary bearers will be Terry Erickson, Daniel Erickson, David Register, Russ Shaunce, Tom Habana, Wade Erickson, Jack L. Thorpe Sr., John Haskins and Phyllis Thorpe. A Funeral Luncheon will follow the service. Burial will take place after the luncheon in Graceland Cemetery, Albert Lea.
Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 24, 2010, at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorials be made to the family in care of Sheila Erickson. A memorial service will be held in Muscatine at a later date. Online condolences for the Erickson family may be left at www.wittichfuneralhome.com.
Douglas was born on July 10, 1951, in Fairmont, the son of Daniel Porter and E. Lorraine Melvin Erickson.
Douglas was baptized in the Lutheran faith and became an alter boy at the Salem Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. Douglas worked hard in school and received his Associate of Arts degree, making the dean’s list, and at the age of 56, he received his Bachelor of Liberal Studies, making the dean’s and president’s lists.
He worked hard at Christy’s and then Holiday Inn in Albert Lea.
He married Pauline Anderson and they later divorced. They had two children together, Jennifer and Wade.
He moved to the Quad Cities area and worked at John Deere and International Harvester. He went to technical college for air conditioning and heating. He then worked at Thermo King and then Ruan where he worked for 11 years.
He met Sheila Thorpe in 1979, and they were married on March 21, 1998, in Muscatine. In the 31 years they have been together they have enjoyed parties, fishing, concerts, gardening and the love of antiquing. This hobby allowed them to own and operate Koosli Antiques. His most loved activities included reading and writing to his parents and family. A favorite project up until his illness was helping to establish The Friends of the Old Barn, where he took interviews, did hours of research at the library, and volunteering at the Open Barn Events. He will be missed by all that knew him.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Sheila Erickson of Muscatine; his daughter, Jennifer Lynn Habana and husband, Thomas, of Albert Lea, and their children, Tyler Thomas Habana, Noah Erick Habana, and Jordan Andria Habana; his son, Wade Kevin Erickson of Albert Lea, and his children, Alyssa Lynn Erickson and Sara Alexis Erickson; his parents, Daniel Porter and E. Lorraine Melvin Erickson of Albert Lea; one brother, Terry Lynn Erickson of Albert Lea; two sisters: Karen Renae Erickson and companion, Russell Shaunce, of Glenville, and their daughter, Lori Marie Shaunce, and Kathy Jo Register and husband, David Keith, of Albert Lea, and their children, Tara Jo Register and her partner, Michael Johanson, and Tiffany Grace Register and her partner, Tyler Larsen, and their children, Taylor Kaye Larsen and Miya Grace Larsen.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Basil and Esther Parr Melvin and Iver and Mabel Erickson.