Melvin Randolph Erickson, 94, died Friday, Nov. 14, 2008 at Careage of Whidbey, Coupeville. He was a resident of South Whidbey for 21 years, enjoying his home on Smugglers Cove Road.
He was born Dec. 25, 1913 to Will and Alka Erickson in Chanute, Kansas. The family lived on a farm and Mel grew up learning to mow hay, plant corn and milk cows. He didn’t enjoy milking and often played a competitive game of croquet with his brothers to decide who would do the milking.
Mel attended rural grade school, then Chanute High School graduating in 1932. He worked on the family farm for four years and then attended Ottawa University, a Baptist-related college in eastern Kansas, earning a bachelor of arts degree in history and music.
Following graduation he accepted a teaching assignment at LaHarpe, Kansas. It was there that he met his future wife, Mildred Dodge, a teacher of home economics at the same school. The couple married in 1942 and taught together at Scandia, Kansas for one year. During World War II Mel worked as a civilian employee of the Air Force in Omaha, Neb.
Following the war, they moved to Denver where Mel began as a manager/trainee for F.W. Woolworth Co. This employment took them to Greeley, Colo.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Salt Lake City, and Ogden, Utah, culminating in being named manager of a new store in El Paso, Texas. It was the first “self-service” store in the chain, opening in February of 1954.
Mel managed this store for seven years making good friends, some life-long, with many of the local employees. In 1962, Mel made a decision to return to teaching. He was employed by the El Paso Independent School District to teach government and history at Irvin High School, where he continued until retirement in 1980. Mel truly enjoyed teaching. His classes were full of the subjects he spent his life following, the workings of government, politics and the Supreme Court.
Mel and Mildred moved to Whidbey Island in 1987 to be closer to children in Seattle. Maintaining and enhancing the home and garden were special joys to Mel in the following years. The couple also traveled, and in the course of their lives together, visited all 50 states except Hawaii and also enjoyed the Nordic countries and the British Isles.
For seven years Mel particularly enjoyed delivering Meals on Wheels to South End residents. Singing was also a great pleasure for him and he joined the Trinity Lutheran Church choir for several years. One of his fondest memories was of singing “Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people” in a college production of “The Messiah.”
Mel was preceded in death by a son, David Randolph Erickson, by his parents and two brothers, Gordon and Clifford of Chanute, Kansas. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, and his children, Barbara Zander and husband Tom, and Randy and wife Midge, and by three grandsons, Ben Zander, Ian Zander and Mason Erickson. He is also survived by two sisters, Ruby and Maxine Erickson of Kansas City and a sister-in-law, Jane Works of Humboldt, Kansas and many nieces and nephews.
A private burial was held Monday, Nov. 17 at Sunnyside Cemetery with a memorial to follow at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland.
Remembrances may be made to the Hunger Fund or the Endowment Fund at Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland.
