John Hilmer "Johnnie" Erickson

1901 - 1987  (86 years)

• Name	John Hilmer "Johnnie" Erickson  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Nickname	Johnnie
  Born	16 May 1901	Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin, United States   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Obituary	Obituary John Hilmer Erickson was born in Superior on May 16, 1901, and passed away July 12, 1987 at the age of 86. He had been in poor health for the past five years. His parents moved to the Bigfork area when John was about 3 years old. He attended school in Spruce Park, MN. He was united in marriage to Georgia Backstrom in 1922. During this time he farmed 3 miles north of Bibfork on a 40 acre tract, and drove school bus, did some logging and worked as a truck driver for the county. His first wife passed away in March of 1939. He then moved to Bigfork with his 3 children and went to work as a custodian at the Bigfork High School and continued to do some logging. He met and married May Bishop in 1944. At this time, he worked in the mines, and entered chopping and sawing contests. His claim to fame so to speak, the one thing he enjoyed and loved to do was chopping and sawing wood in competition. He won many championships in Minnesota and other states as well. Finally capturing the World Chamionship Title in both sawing and chopping. His son, Arthur, joined him in 1948 and they won the two man sawing contest and many other events after that. John earned honorable mention in Cedric Adams Columm in the Minneapolis Tribune when he cut thru a 20" log in 8.3 seconds and beat a chain saw. He served as Bigfork constable for several years and was sexton to Bigfork Cemetery untill he retired at the age of 81. John was a devoted family man and a father who was tower of strength to them. His direct honesty and sence of fairness made him respected man in this community and wherever he went. He is survived by his wife, Mary; four daughters, Lynnette Soltau of Lake Crystal, Mn, Shirley Sigler of Bigfork, Sherry Kim of St. Paul and Brenda Lehinger of Grand Rapids. Two sons, Arthur of Omaha, Neb. and Kenneth of St. Paul. Two step-sons, Howard Bishop of Concord, Calif., and Darrell Bishop of Lake Zurich, Ill; a step-daughter, Muriel Comeau of Reno, Nev.; a sister Esther Gustafson of Bigfork, 41 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. Thursday until the funeral at 2 p.m. in Bigfork Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Bigfork Cemetery. Arrangments are by the Libbey Funeral Home, Grand Rapids.
  Relocation	4 Mar 1904	Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States   [5]
  	Family
  Family Search ID	LBMH-P98
  Family Search Link	https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LBMH-P98
  Died	12 Jul 1987	Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States
  Buried	16 Jul 1987	Bigfork Cemetery, Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States
  Person ID	I6958	Dale's Tree
  Last Modified	12 Feb 2018

  
  

  Father	Johan "John" Didrikson Erickson,   b. 9 May 1867, , , , Norway ,   d. 6 Mar 1947, Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States  (Age 79 years)
  Mother	Amanda Mathilda Hansdatter,   b. 2 Jan 1865, , Göteborg och Bohus, Sweden ,   d. 7 Nov 1942, Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States  (Age 77 years)
  Married	1 Mar 1888	Bamble, , Telemark, Norway   [6]
  Family ID	F758	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	May Adele Kinn,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Kenneth Erickson
  Last Modified	26 Jan 2012
  Family ID	F754	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Georgia Violena Backstrom,   b. 25 Apr 1900, , , Minnesota, United States ,   d. 6 Mar 1939, Grand Rapids, Itasca, Minnesota, United States  (Age 38 years)
  Married	19 Jul 1922	Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States   [4]
  Children	1. Lynette Erickson   2. Shirley Erickson   3. Arthur Erickson
  Last Modified	26 Jan 2012
  Family ID	F753	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Click to hide
  		Born - 16 May 1901 - Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin, United States Relocation - Family - 4 Mar 1904 - Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States Married - 19 Jul 1922 - Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States Died - 12 Jul 1987 - Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States Buried - 16 Jul 1987 - Bigfork Cemetery, Bigfork, Itasca, Minnesota, United States  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Default Photo

  DaleBensonTree.I6958.jpg

  
  

• Sources

  [S490] Census - MN, Itasca - 1905 State, Minnesota, Itasca, (Digital images. Ancestry.com. 2007), Bigfork, p. 2, line 46, John Erackson; (accessed 12 Jan 2012); citing Minnesota Historical Society (Reliability: 2), 12 Jan 2012. [S488] Census - MN, Itasca - 1910 Fed, Minnesota, Itasca, (National Archives and Records Administration, 2006), T624, roll 707, Bigfork, enumeration district (ED) 61, p. 4B, dwelling 40, family 41, John Erickson, accessed 9 Jan 2012 (Reliability: 2), 9 Jan 2012. [S243] Census - MN, Itasca - 1920 Fed, Minnesota, Itasca, (www.ancestry.com: National Archives and Records Administration, 2005), T625, roll T625_840, Bigfork, enumeration district (ED) 25, p. 4A, dwelling 68, family 70, John Erickson, accessed 11 Jan 2012 (Reliability: 2), 11 Jan 2012. [S236] Census - MN, Itasca - 1930 Fed, Minnesota, Itasca, (www.ancestry.com: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), T626, roll 1102, Bigfork, enumeration district (ED) 10, p. 1A, dwelling 50, family 50, John H. Erickson, accessed 12 Jan 2012 (Reliability: 2), 12 Jan 2012. [S485] Newspapers - MN, Itasca - Unknown Publisher, Minnesota. Itasca County., "John Erickson, Sr.," Abt 14 Mar 1947. (Reliability: 2). [S485] Newspapers - MN, Itasca - Unknown Publisher, Minnesota. Itasca County., "John Erickson, Sr. Obituary," Abt 14 Mar 1947. (Reliability: 2).