Erickson, Norman Elwood

CEDAR RAPIDS - Norman Elwood Erickson, 90, of 2115 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, died Sept. 17, 2010. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at First Lutheran Church. Military honors and graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. at Floral Hills Cemetery near Oelwein. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Arrangements by Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.

Survivors include two sisters, Loyce Larsen of Iowa City and Irene DeSart of Elgin; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and wife.

Norman was born in Postville, Iowa, the son of John and Emma (Erickson) Erickson, in Clermont, Iowa, on April 4, 1920. He was confirmed in 1934 at West Clermont Lutheran Church. He graduated from Clermont High School in 1937. That same fall he attended Coe College, graduating in 1941, with a degree in accounting and finance and a minor in history.

He was encouraged at an early age to fish in the Turkey River with his father and then went with him to the Mississippi River and to northern Minnesota for Lake Walleye fishing. He and his wife, Floy, enjoyed a summer cabin in Harpers Ferry for 20 years.

At an early age and through high school summers he was an enthusiastic fossil hunter with the late Gus Becker of Clermont and formed a nice prehistoric fossil collection of his own from Fayette County formations.

He was employed by Iowa Electric Light and Power Co. in the accounting department since Sept. 1, 1941, except for 2 ½ years in the Navy (1943-1946), until he retired July 1, 1984.

After attending Storekeeper Services School at Farragut, Idaho, he was assigned for over two years to the USS Admiral US Benson (AP120). This was a newly built troop transport, first of a new “class” and commissioned Aug. 23, 1944. He was proud of his service time and in 1969 founded the ships' reunion association. attending many reunions until 1998.

On March 18, 2001, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. For many summers following 1951, the 19 nephews and nieces from smaller towns and farms were with them at different times during the summer after Floy's teaching duties for a week of “city life” in Cedar Rapids. Their visits resulted in memories of the younger generation of our first siblings and their families.

They vacationed in all of the states, wintering in Arizona for over 20 years, and visited many countries, especially enjoying Norway over the years. Floy passed away Oct. 7, 2004.

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