Rachel Erickson

Rachel Dorothy Erickson was born September 17, 1918, on her parents' farm near Cleburne, KS in Pottawatomie County. She passed away on September 5, 2008 at the Valley View Senior Life Center. Her father was Edgar Carl Erickson and her mother Johannah Cecilia (Swensson). Rachel was baptized and confirmed in the former Mariadahl Lutheran Church. In spite of being born with severe near sighted ness, she graduated from Cleburne Rural High School and Kansas State College in Manhattan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics and Journalism. For twenty nine years she was employed at Irwin Army Community Hospital in Diet therapy.

Preceding her in death were her parents and a sister, Reva Morse who passed away in 1985. She is survived by several distant cousins in the United States and Sweden. She is also survived by many friends in the Junction City area as well as a special friend, Jean Marchand of Wichita who became friends in 1938 while attending college and who considered themselves as sisters.

Rachel spent her childhood years on a farm in the Blue Valley area, moving to Junction City in 1944. Rachel was active in the community where she was a longtime member of Walla Walla EEU, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and NARFE, (retired federal employees).

Rachel was a charter member of the Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Junction City where she remained active until health problems prevented her from attending regularly. Her church family visited her often and her pastor brought communion.

Following her retirement in 1974, Rachel did feature writing for the Junction City Republic for several years and for nine years wrote a weekly column for the Junction City Daily Union as a volunteer for the Valley View Professional Care Center. One of her proudest accomplishments was the two hundred dollar first prize she won in 1942 from the National Livestock and Meat Board for her essay on the importance of meat in winning World War II.

Rachel was proud of her Swedish ancestry and enjoyed trips to Lindsborg to attend various Swedish events. She and her sister traveled to Sweden three times. She also enjoyed many motor coach tours in the United States.

Other highlights of Rachel's life were entertaining guests, baking, gardening, listening to sports, gooseberry pie, deviled eggs, biscuits and most of all being a friend to everyone around her.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at the Faith Lutheran Church, 212 North Eisenhower Drive, Junction City, KS. Reverend Stephen Haverlah will be officiating the services. Burial of the ashes will follow in Highland Cemetery. Memorials may be given to Faith Lutheran Church or the Valley View Estates Activity Fund in care of Penwell-Gabel Johnson Chapel, 203 N. Washington Street.