Theodore Erickson

Theodore A. Erickson, 92, of Willmar, died Saturday evening, January 22, at Bethesda Pleasant View Nursing Home in Willmar.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Thursday, January 27, at Bethel Baptist Church in Kerkhoven. Burial will be in Hillside Cemetery in Kerkhoven. Military Honors will be provided by the Willmar American Legion. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, January 26, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
Theodore Arthur Erickson was born December 29, 1918, on a farm near Chaplin, Saskatchewan, Canada, the son of Fred E. and Gertrude (Strand) Erickson. At the age of six, he moved with his family to a farm near Niobe, North Dakota, where he received his elementary education. At the age of 15, Ted accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and continued to be a faithful servant of God throughout his life.
In 1937, Ted and his family moved to Blomkest. He served overseas in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was discharged from the Army on October 30, 1945. Following his discharge, he returned to the Blomkest area and was employed by the Minor Rodelius Ford Motor Company in Willmar for three years. He later attended Dunwoody Institute for training in auto body repair.
On October 13, 1951, Theodore was united in marriage to Gladys Zwemke at her parents' farm near Pennock. They made their home in Blomkest, where Ted operated the Blomkest Body Shop with his brother, Lennard. He was an active member of the Blomkest Baptist Church until 1964, when the family moved to the Pennock farm where Ted was engaged in dairy farming for several years. Ted was employed by Town and Country Motors in Willmar. He enjoyed doing auto body work and making wrought iron railings in his shop at his farm.
After nearly 40 years on the Pennock farm, Ted and Gladys moved to Willmar in November 2003. On March 29, 2010, Ted entered Bethesda Heritage Center Nursing Home and later moved to Bethesda Pleasantview, where he died on January 22, 2011.
Ted was an active member of the Bethel Baptist Church in Kerkhoven, where he served as a deacon, trustee, Sunday school teacher, usher and on various church committees. He was also a member of the Kerkhoven American Legion. He loved animals and enjoyed his days on the farm. He also enjoyed his camping trips with the grandchildren and the Rustad Bus tours with Gladys. He was a kind and loving husband and father and will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his wife: Gladys; three children: Mark (and Sharon) Erickson of Willmar, Janell (and Roger) Johnson of Minneapolis and Shelley (and Gordon) Molenaar of rural Raymond; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two brothers: Lennard (and Virginia) Erickson of Willmar and John Erickson of Minneapolis; two sisters: Dorothy Anderson and Doris (and Arnold) Lindberg, both of New Brighton; and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister-in-law: Marilyn Erickson; and a brother-in-law: Dwight Anderson.