Elaine Erickson, age 93, of Spokane, WA, died Friday, July 3, 2015. She was a resident of Spokane for 61 years.

Elaine Reidel Wigdahl was born on November 4, 1921, in Devils Lake, ND, the only child of Carl Julius and Lena Emelia (Westrum) Wigdahl. She grew up in Minnewaukan, ND. While living in ND for 21 years, Elaine played organ for her church on Sundays and won the state music teacher’s contest in piano performance. Elaine graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in Home Economics (Dietitian Emphasis). She was also four college queens (including Homecoming and Jack Frost Queen) her senior year.

Elaine married her long-time boyfriend Mayo Hallsten Erickson in St. Louis, Missouri on September 25, 1943, and they were together for 65 years until his death in 2008. Elaine would laugh when she would mention that she was two and he was five when they first met. She had also played “paper dolls” with his sister Jean. During the war, Elaine lived in Edmonton and Dawson Creek, Canada while Mayo traveled north along the Alaskan Highway as a dentist in the Army. After WWII, the couple lived in ND, for a year where their first son Steve was born, and then settled in Richland, WA, where Mayo was a dentist for the Atomic Energy Commission at Hanford. Two more children were born (Camille and Douglas) in Richland before the family moved to Spokane, WA, in 1954. Elaine was a busy homemaker and mother to five children (Eric and Todd were born in Spokane) while her husband practiced dentistry. She was active in the community as well; serving on the Children’s Theater Board, Volunteer on Voting Day at the polls, as St. Luke’s Hospital Volunteer for 21 years, docent for Campbell house 22 years and member of two bridge groups. She had a passion for flowers/gardening, and was a member of the Rockwood Garden Club, managing “the plot”. She was also a longtime member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.

Survivors include: one daughter and four sons: Camille Haskins (children Curtiss and Eric) of Spokane, WA; Steve and Karen Erickson (children Juliana, Connor and Annaka) of Outlook, WA, Doug and Leslie Erickson (children Mark and Jillian) of Woodinville, WA, Eric and Temple Erickson of Fripp Island, South Carolina, and Dr. Todd and Anne Erickson (child Luke) of Gold Canyon, AZ.

Memorials may be made to St. Olaf Lutheran Church, rural Minnewaukan, ND 58351

BURIAL:

Riverside Cemetery, Sheyenne, ND on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 1:00PM

MEMORIAL SERVICE:

St. Olaf Lutheran Church, rural Minnewaukan, ND

DATE AND TIME:

Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 2:30PM