Karen Leslie Erickson

A Funeral Service for Karen Erickson will be held at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 3:00pm with a visitation an hour prior. Interment will be held at Moe-Rose Cemetery in Roseau.

Karen Leslie Erickson was born October 17, 1959 to Everett and Bobs (Vest) Erickson in Roseau, MN. She lived at home until the age of 7 when she entered the Roseau Children’s Home. After she aged out of the Children’s Home, she moved to a group home in Argyle, MN, where she lived out her days.

Karen was born with Down Syndrome, and as is common with Down Syndrome children, was loving, affectionate, happy and uninhibited! She loved music (loudly making a joyful noise!), dancing (sometimes having to be told to tone it down a bit!), getting together with family (making every get-to-gather a party!), making funny faces, and life in general. While in Argyle, she attended the DAC and later ODC in Warren and worked at various places cleaning. Many weekends and holidays were spent with sister Barb and her family. She loved going to church, and we are sure she made God smile as she freely worshipped in a way only she could! Karen also enjoyed competing in the Special Olympics, showing her competitive side as she turned her fast walk into a run as she saw someone was ahead of her! She enjoyed getting gifts and in her later years as forgetfulness set in, could get just as excited opening a gift the second time as she did opening it the first time! She loved her coffee and could get a little pouty if it didn’t magically appear! She loved her nieces and nephews and they loved her! Though she couldn’t communicate very well verbally, she taught us all so much and we are all so much richer for having her in our lives.

In her later years, Karen suffered from dementia, eventually being bed ridden. She was loved and so well taken care of by her staff in Argyle, as well as all the workers from Warren DAC and ODC. Karen went home to be with her Lord Saturday morning, May 6, 2023, and we suspect there was a big party when she entered heaven!

Karen was preceded in death by her parents, brother Stan, and brother-in-law Wes Staie. She is survived by siblings Judi (Kirby) Olson of Bemidji, MN, Barb Staie of Karlstad, MN, Louise (Rocky) McFarlane of Lake Bronson, MN, Kim (Jennifer) Erickson of Broadwater, NB, and Kerri (Lee) Melby of Roseau, MN, aunts Carol (Ronnie) Olson of Roseau, MN, Linda Berg of Greenbush, MN, and uncle Clayton Erickson of Roseau, MN, and many nieces and nephews.

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