Kenneth Carol Erickson was born on July 3, 1947, in Sioux Rapids, Iowa to Wallace Eldon Erickson and Esther Lucille (Maves) Erickson. He was the second of eight children, preceded in birth by his brother, Larry Lynn and followed in birth order by brothers Martin Dean, Charles Andrew, Daryl Lee, and Richard Blake, and sisters Marcia Anne (Nelson) and Cynthia Leah (Smith). As a young boy, Kenny lived on the family farm outside of Fairmont, Minnesota before moving to Cherokee, Iowa, in 1953. The rest of his schooling years were in Cherokee, where he graduated from Washington High School in 1965. In November of that year, he married Diane Kay Gill. For the next twenty-seven years they would live together in Meridan, Iowa, having three sons, Daniel Lee, David Paul, and Michael Lucas. During this time, he was employed by Wilson Foods where he worked as the kill floor foreman for many years. After thirty-two years at “the pack”, Kenny remained in Cherokee for the next thirteen years working as a bartender and, at certain times of the year, driving a tractor. Retirement arrived in 2010, and that year he moved to Rapid City, South Dakota. Free from Iowa winters, he lived there for the following eight years. Kenny always enjoyed going “back home” to Cherokee and was blessed by numerous visits from family and friends. During these years, Kenny made new friendships and the bonds of old friendships and family became strengthened. In 2015, Kenny was diagnosed with a rare cancer and would receive extensive treatments and operations over the next three years. He died in his home comfortably with family on the evening of Tuesday, March 6, 2018.

Those that knew Kenny would say his fondest memories include holiday meals, time on the golf course, hunting, fishing trips, drinks and card games, vacations, and story-telling. He truly was so many things to so many people. Over the years, many of us needed someone for different reasons at different times, and so many times, Kenny would be there. May God bless the soul of this great and wonderful man. We all love you with all of our hearts, Kenny, may you have eternal heavenly peace.

Kenny was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and brothers, Larry and Daryl.

He is survived by three brothers, both sisters, three sons, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.