Ruth Viola Erickson

Funeral services for Ruth Erickson of Roseau will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 2 PM at First Baptist Church in Roseau.  A visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be at a later date at Bethel-Stafford Cemetery.

Ruth Viola (Nelson) Erickson passed away on Wednesday, January 2, 2019, at her home at the age of   92. She was placed in Hospice in December of 2017, and with their wonderful services, she continued to live in her home with her loving husband who continued to care for her as he had done for the past few years. She died as she had lived: quietly, comfortably and gracefully.

Ruth was born on January 17, 1926, in Stafford Township to Peter O. and Anna (Peterson) Nelson. She attended school through 8th grade in Stafford. While attending high school in Roseau, she, a sister and two nieces lived with a family in Roseau on the 3rd floor of what was later the Jim Helgeson home on north Main Avenue, and they returned home on weekends. Ruth was from a musical family, and while in the 8th grade, she and several of her sisters and nieces who were involved in the Stafford 4H program were invited to participate in a music competition at the Minnesota State Fair, which was quite an experience and honor in 1940. That year she also won the Roseau County Spelling Bee contest and went on to participate in Crookston.

After high school, Ruth worked for Row Lumber Company as their bookkeeper. She and her sister, Della, purchased a home in Roseau, where they and their parents lived until Ruth married Clayton Erickson at First Baptist Church in Roseau on September 4, 1948. Ruth and Clayton lived in Roseau for several years, then purchased a farm southwest of Roseau in 1952. They resided there until the sale of the farm in 2013. It was on the farm that they raised their two children, Ruthann and DeVaughn. Ruth left her job at Row Lumber Company to stay home with her children, and after they were both in school, she returned to her previous job until she retired in 1978. She was an excellent cook, baker, kept an immaculate house, and there was always a freezer full of baked goods and frozen meals on hand. She was a member of the Homemaker Club and a Sunday School teacher for many years. Most importantly, she was a Godly woman whose life exemplified her love for her Savior, and we know that she is rejoicing now in His presence. There were many notes inside the cover of her Bible, always with a date after she had completed reading the Bible another time. Her last note was in 2004; she had read the Bible from cover to cover 12 times.

Ruth served as the church pianist and organist at Stafford Baptist Church from her teen years until 1958, then at First Baptist Church in Roseau from 1958 until 2006, at which time she retired because of progressing dementia. She was committed to serving the Lord well, and spent many hours every week preparing and practicing for the next Sunday, many times manually transposing on staff paper songs that a soloist she was accompanying wanted to sing in a different key. During that time, she was the pianist or organist for over 200 weddings and funerals.

Ruth is survived by her husband of 70 years, Clayton; daughter, Ruthann; son, DeVaughn (Pam); grandchildren, Leah Erickson, Jill (Mike) Siesennop, Peter (Marianne) Erickson, Andy Erickson, and David (Amie) Erickson; great-grandchildren, Samuel, Christian, Joanna, Josiah and Mara Ruth; sisters-in-law Marion Enerson, Carol (Ronnie) Olson, and Linda (Gerald) Berg; and many nieces and nephews and their families.

She was predeceased by her parents, Peter and Anna Nelson; 11 brothers and sisters and their spouses, Oscar (Edith) Nelson, Selma (Charlie) Skoglund, Albert (Hildie) Nelson, Alice (John) Hetteen, Emil (Marie) Nelson, Edith (Leonard) Olson, Willie Nelson, Mildred (Lawrence) Olson, Alfred (Ruth) Nelson, Marie (Elbridge) Pike and Della (Odean) Anderson; father-in-law and mother-in-law George and Clara Erickson; brothers and sisters-in-law Everett (Bobs) Erickson, Donald (Irene) Erickson, Vivian (Orville) Dvergsten, Bud Enerson, and many nieces and nephews.

Ruth’s family wishes to thank the Hospice team for over a year of love and awesome care, and for their friendship and continued support. Memorials received will be given to LifeCare Medical Center Home Care and Hospice, unless otherwise specified.

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