Eleanor Erickson
d. June 2, 2023
Eleanor Erickson, age 86, of Granite Falls passed away Friday, June 2, 2023 at Avera Care Center in Granite Falls. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Granite Falls Lutheran Church. Interment will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery. Visitation will be held Wednesday, June 7, 2023 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the Wing-Bain Funeral Home in Granite Falls and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
Eleanor Jean Erickson was born on February 19, 1937, the daughter of Lloyd and Mabel Barber, in rural Granite Falls, Minnesota. She was baptized and confirmed at the Granite Falls Lutheran Church. Eleanor graduated from Granite Falls High School in 1955.
Eleanor was united in marriage to Myron Erickson on June 10, 1956 at the Granite Falls Lutheran Church. She worked for a short time at the ASCS office in Clarkfield, MN, and then began the roles of homemaker and farm wife as a partner in the farming operation with Mike.
She took the role of farm wife very seriously and was always there to support the farming operation and her family. She made meals, tended a big garden and cared for the home and family. She also helped in the fields, did chores and drove loads of grain to the elevator. The only thing she wouldn’t do was back up the truck or dump the load; her job was only to get it to its destination!
In addition to these roles at home, Eleanor was also active in her community and church. She was a 4-H leader and a Sunday School teacher and she participated in WELCA, Homemakers and Red Hats as well other local community and church events.
With many extended family members living and farming nearby, there were always family get-togethers and events for holidays, birthday parties and other celebrations, and she enjoyed hosting and participating in these. Under her watch, past traditions were honored and enjoyed by everyone. She enjoyed every opportunity to use her fancy china, family heirlooms and other items she had found while out “antiquing” with relatives and friends whenever she was the hostess.
Playing cards and having card parties was another social event that she enjoyed with her family and friends. When the kids were old enough to learn how to play cards, many a winter snow storm was spent playing cards (especially Whist). When the grandchildren were old enough to learn how to play cards, they too became avid card players. Grandma Erickson was a reliably conservative card player, so it was always an event when she bid high or went black because you knew she had a good hand! She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and was a supporter of her children and grandchildren’s activities.
Her true passions were cooking and working with children. If she had not chosen to be an active farm wife, she would have pursued becoming a Home Economics or Kindergarten teacher. She loved to work in the kitchen and was always experimenting with new recipes. Mike was always willing to sample a new recipe, but her grandchildren wondered why she couldn’t just stick with a tried and true version of a chocolate chip cookie and call it good enough. She had more cookbooks than she would ever need and could adapt a recipe and perfect it after trying out many variations. She would clip recipes out of magazines or newspapers to try and was always game to test out new kitchen gadgets or equipment.
She also liked to teach her children how to cook and bake. She encouraged them to experiment with new recipes, and it didn’t concern her if it didn’t work out just right. There was always another recipe to try or a modification to make the next time. She perfected the recipe for salsa, using the abundance of tomatoes from the garden. Every year it was a new variation depending on the type of tomato and the spiciness of the peppers.
Sewing was another passion of hers and she sewed many clothes for her kids and their dolls. When her kids were old enough to sew, she had the patience of a saint to teach them how to sew.
When Eleanor and Mike moved from the farm to town, she took a job at the Granite Falls Area Vocational Technical Institute in the foodservice department. Her position was as the baker which allowed her to bake to her heart’s content. Her rolls and treats were enjoyed by the students and faculty and she loved this job. She later transitioned to cooking for the daycare at the Tech School, and this was even better, as it allowed her to do all of her favorite things- cook, bake and interact with children.
Several health issues resulted in her needing to become a resident of the Avera Granite Falls Care Center in March 2022. She made new friends and accepted this change in her lifestyle. This transition certainly tested her kind and gentle spirit, but she handled it with peace and grace. She peacefully passed away on June 2, 2023.
Eleanor is survived by her husband, Myron, her children: Cheryl Rude of Granite Falls, Laurie (Gary) Kassen of Chanhassen, and Pamela Erickson of Rosemount; her grandchildren: Sarah Rude(and partner Skyler), Thomas(Chiara) Rude, Allen Kassen(and fiancée Allison), Daniel(Jessica) Kassen and Makayla Erickson; her great-grandchildren: Grant, Owen, and Luke Kassen and Luciana Rude; her siblings: James (Dianne) Barber, Sandra Barber, and Dennis (Cathy) Barber; her sisters-in-law: Arlene Barber, Bonnie Erickson, Betty Erickson; and many nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.
Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, brother Larry Barber, in-laws Robert Erickson, Donald Erickson, Vernon and Theresa Erickson, Gordon and Gretchen Erickson and A. Marshall Rader.
Eleanor was much-loved by all who knew her. She was a gentle soul with a compassionate heart. She will be greatly missed.
Eleanor Jean Erickson was born on February 19, 1937, the daughter of Lloyd and Mabel Barber, in rural Granite Falls, Minnesota. She was baptized and confirmed at the Granite Falls Lutheran Church. Eleanor graduated from Granite Falls High School in 1955.
Eleanor was united in marriage to Myron Erickson on June 10, 1956 at the Granite Falls Lutheran Church. She worked for a short time at the ASCS office in Clarkfield, MN, and then began the roles of homemaker and farm wife as a partner in the farming operation with Mike.
She took the role of farm wife very seriously and was always there to support the farming operation and her family. She made meals, tended a big garden and cared for the home and family. She also helped in the fields, did chores and drove loads of grain to the elevator. The only thing she wouldn’t do was back up the truck or dump the load; her job was only to get it to its destination!
In addition to these roles at home, Eleanor was also active in her community and church. She was a 4-H leader and a Sunday School teacher and she participated in WELCA, Homemakers and Red Hats as well other local community and church events.
With many extended family members living and farming nearby, there were always family get-togethers and events for holidays, birthday parties and other celebrations, and she enjoyed hosting and participating in these. Under her watch, past traditions were honored and enjoyed by everyone. She enjoyed every opportunity to use her fancy china, family heirlooms and other items she had found while out “antiquing” with relatives and friends whenever she was the hostess.
Playing cards and having card parties was another social event that she enjoyed with her family and friends. When the kids were old enough to learn how to play cards, many a winter snow storm was spent playing cards (especially Whist). When the grandchildren were old enough to learn how to play cards, they too became avid card players. Grandma Erickson was a reliably conservative card player, so it was always an event when she bid high or went black because you knew she had a good hand! She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and was a supporter of her children and grandchildren’s activities.
Her true passions were cooking and working with children. If she had not chosen to be an active farm wife, she would have pursued becoming a Home Economics or Kindergarten teacher. She loved to work in the kitchen and was always experimenting with new recipes. Mike was always willing to sample a new recipe, but her grandchildren wondered why she couldn’t just stick with a tried and true version of a chocolate chip cookie and call it good enough. She had more cookbooks than she would ever need and could adapt a recipe and perfect it after trying out many variations. She would clip recipes out of magazines or newspapers to try and was always game to test out new kitchen gadgets or equipment.
She also liked to teach her children how to cook and bake. She encouraged them to experiment with new recipes, and it didn’t concern her if it didn’t work out just right. There was always another recipe to try or a modification to make the next time. She perfected the recipe for salsa, using the abundance of tomatoes from the garden. Every year it was a new variation depending on the type of tomato and the spiciness of the peppers.
Sewing was another passion of hers and she sewed many clothes for her kids and their dolls. When her kids were old enough to sew, she had the patience of a saint to teach them how to sew.
When Eleanor and Mike moved from the farm to town, she took a job at the Granite Falls Area Vocational Technical Institute in the foodservice department. Her position was as the baker which allowed her to bake to her heart’s content. Her rolls and treats were enjoyed by the students and faculty and she loved this job. She later transitioned to cooking for the daycare at the Tech School, and this was even better, as it allowed her to do all of her favorite things- cook, bake and interact with children.
Several health issues resulted in her needing to become a resident of the Avera Granite Falls Care Center in March 2022. She made new friends and accepted this change in her lifestyle. This transition certainly tested her kind and gentle spirit, but she handled it with peace and grace. She peacefully passed away on June 2, 2023.
Eleanor is survived by her husband, Myron, her children: Cheryl Rude of Granite Falls, Laurie (Gary) Kassen of Chanhassen, and Pamela Erickson of Rosemount; her grandchildren: Sarah Rude(and partner Skyler), Thomas(Chiara) Rude, Allen Kassen(and fiancée Allison), Daniel(Jessica) Kassen and Makayla Erickson; her great-grandchildren: Grant, Owen, and Luke Kassen and Luciana Rude; her siblings: James (Dianne) Barber, Sandra Barber, and Dennis (Cathy) Barber; her sisters-in-law: Arlene Barber, Bonnie Erickson, Betty Erickson; and many nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.
Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, brother Larry Barber, in-laws Robert Erickson, Donald Erickson, Vernon and Theresa Erickson, Gordon and Gretchen Erickson and A. Marshall Rader.
Eleanor was much-loved by all who knew her. She was a gentle soul with a compassionate heart. She will be greatly missed.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Eleanor Erickson, please visit our flower store.