Gerald (Jerry) Erickson passed away on Thursday, April 2, 2020 at the Rennes Health and Rehab Center in Appleton, WI.
Gerald was born on September 13, 1931 in Racine, WI to Nestor and Lillian (Jensen) Erickson. He lived in Racine and parts of Texas. He loved watching his brother Harvey play football and it carried with many stories throughout his life. He picked up gardening skills and farming from his father and mother. As years passed, Jerry loved raising and riding horses. He also raised hunting dogs and loved particularly pheasant, goose and duck hunting. He liked to deer hunt in the north woods, loved the Packers of course and would often fish.
He was into tractors... loved to buy and fix them up whether he had the farm or lived in an apartment. He always managed to own a tractor! He loved playing on pool and horseshoe leagues with his sons. He worked as a machine repair man his entire life. He owned his own business repairing machines and also later on worked for companies like Gordon Machine, Harley Davidson and eventually finished out 23 years at General Motors Corporation.
Jerry also played steel guitar and the accordion very well. He played in a band or two and was backup steel guitar for some of country western’s favorite up and coming stars in the 1950s. He was also an excellent artist. His painting and drawing was the best you’ve seen. He has paintings in the Westum Museum in Racine. He was also a great wood carver and a great boxer.
Jerry accomplished all of this with only one working arm due to being crippled at the age of 7.
He built a couple homes in his life. He was married a couple times. Jerry had many friends in life but always still managed to be quite the loner. He, like many people, fought with his own demons in life. It brought hard times to his family over the years. He wasn’t always the greatest person and he has done some downright unforgivable things. That being said, he still loved all his children. Let’s hope and pray he was able to overcome those difficulties in his life and go to his maker with forgiveness in his heart and we too, hope for our forgiveness unto him. May he Rest in Peace. He left behind quite a family.
Jerry is survived by his sons Sven (Kelly) Erickson; Glenn (Tristin) Erickson; Leif (Marilee) Erickson; John (Victoria) Erickson; and James Erickson, his daughters Gerolyn (Domingo) Fernandez and Lilly Erickson; nineteen grandchildren: Paul Plonsky, Brenden Fernandez, Jennifer Paulson, Colissa Erickson, Corrin Erickson, Kyra Erickson, Akasia Erickson, Austin Erickson, Kyleigh Erickson, Lukas Erickson, Tyler Erickson, Chris Erickson, Jacob Erickson, Hunter Erickson, Cali Erickson, Amiah Erickson, Na’Kole Vickrey, Taylor Vickrey and Wyatt Vickrey; six great grandchildren: Brinley Van Lanen, Melaine Krueger, Benjamin Krueger, Larissa Fernandez, Maricella Fernandez and Persephone Patterson. He is further survived by his brother Harvey (Lydia) Erickson and cousin Richard (Patricia) Jensen. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter, Becky Erickson.
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