A beautiful baby girl was born to Howard Edwin Small and Janet Beatrice Giberson Small -- the third of four children. She was only 3 years old when both her parents died in 1918 during the Flu Pandemic, leaving the young children to be raised by Grampie and Grammie Small. After sister Laurel was married to Kenneth Hacking and lived in Idaho, Bessie was sent by Grampie to Idaho to find her eternal companion, and find him she did. She married Norman Blackburn Erickson 11 April 1941 in the Salt Lake Temple in Utah, making their home in Archer on a farm about a mile away from her sister Laurel's home. The two sisters were very close and their children also became best of friends.
Obituary published in The Post Register (Idaho Falls, Idaho) 4 August 2009:
Bessie A. Erickson
Bessie Amelia Small Erickson was born Aug. 10, 1916, in East Bucksport, Hancock, Maine. She passed away at her home in Archer, Idaho, on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009. She was 92 years, 11 months and 22 days old.
Her siblings, and one grandson preceded her in death.
Her parents, Howard Edwin Small and Janet Beatrice Giberson, died in the 1918 flu epidemic and her grandparents, William and Maud Small, took the four orphans and raised them.
Her sweetheart, Norman B. Erickson, and their six children survive her. Her children are Eric Edwin (Beverly) Erickson, Georgia Maria Erickson, Norman Small (Susan) Erickson, Tonya Jean (Gerard) Junkert, Victor Small (Mona) Erickson and Herman Small (Michelle) Erickson.
She never lost her New England accent, which endeared her to family and friends. She loved Archer and her neighbors and living in the West.
In 1939, she left Maine and traveled to Archer, Idaho. She stayed with her recently married sister, Laurel Hacking. When she went to church, a young man named Norman saw her and nudged the fellow next to him in the choir and said, "That's the woman I'm going to marry." Thus East meets West, and they were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on March 11, 1941. She retired in 1981 from Ricks College, where she worked as a switchboard operator and in the David O. McKay Library. She loved her jobs and everyone there.
She and her husband served an LDS mission to Johannesburg, South Africa, from 1981 to 1982. In their family, they have been blessed with 26 members serving full-time missions and five members in the Armed Forces. They also served together for 20 years from 1984 to 2004 as Idaho Falls Temple workers. She was a Young Women leader, Relief Society leader and Primary teacher, dance director, choir member and the ward librarian for 20 years. She was always positive, happy and was adored by all her family. She was "Grammie" to 31 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at the Archer LDS Ward. A viewing will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., both at the church. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.flammfh.com.
Note from Michelle (23 October 2013):
"Their mission lasted until August of 1983."
Siblings:
Joy Clarence Small
Laurel Maud Small Hacking
Bessie Amelia Small Erickson
Valeda Irene Small Stetson
Obituary published in The Post Register (Idaho Falls, Idaho) 4 August 2009:
Bessie A. Erickson
Bessie Amelia Small Erickson was born Aug. 10, 1916, in East Bucksport, Hancock, Maine. She passed away at her home in Archer, Idaho, on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009. She was 92 years, 11 months and 22 days old.
Her siblings, and one grandson preceded her in death.
Her parents, Howard Edwin Small and Janet Beatrice Giberson, died in the 1918 flu epidemic and her grandparents, William and Maud Small, took the four orphans and raised them.
Her sweetheart, Norman B. Erickson, and their six children survive her. Her children are Eric Edwin (Beverly) Erickson, Georgia Maria Erickson, Norman Small (Susan) Erickson, Tonya Jean (Gerard) Junkert, Victor Small (Mona) Erickson and Herman Small (Michelle) Erickson.
She never lost her New England accent, which endeared her to family and friends. She loved Archer and her neighbors and living in the West.
In 1939, she left Maine and traveled to Archer, Idaho. She stayed with her recently married sister, Laurel Hacking. When she went to church, a young man named Norman saw her and nudged the fellow next to him in the choir and said, "That's the woman I'm going to marry." Thus East meets West, and they were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on March 11, 1941. She retired in 1981 from Ricks College, where she worked as a switchboard operator and in the David O. McKay Library. She loved her jobs and everyone there.
She and her husband served an LDS mission to Johannesburg, South Africa, from 1981 to 1982. In their family, they have been blessed with 26 members serving full-time missions and five members in the Armed Forces. They also served together for 20 years from 1984 to 2004 as Idaho Falls Temple workers. She was a Young Women leader, Relief Society leader and Primary teacher, dance director, choir member and the ward librarian for 20 years. She was always positive, happy and was adored by all her family. She was "Grammie" to 31 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at the Archer LDS Ward. A viewing will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., both at the church. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.flammfh.com.
Note from Michelle (23 October 2013):
"Their mission lasted until August of 1983."
Siblings:
Joy Clarence Small
Laurel Maud Small Hacking
Bessie Amelia Small Erickson
Valeda Irene Small Stetson
A beautiful baby girl was born to Howard Edwin Small and Janet Beatrice Giberson Small -- the third of four children. She was only 3 years old when both her parents died in 1918 during the Flu Pandemic, leaving the young children to be raised by Grampie and Grammie Small. After sister Laurel was married to Kenneth Hacking and lived in Idaho, Bessie was sent by Grampie to Idaho to find her eternal companion, and find him she did. She married Norman Blackburn Erickson 11 April 1941 in the Salt Lake Temple in Utah, making their home in Archer on a farm about a mile away from her sister Laurel's home. The two sisters were very close and their children also became best of friends.
Obituary published in The Post Register (Idaho Falls, Idaho) 4 August 2009:
Bessie A. Erickson
Bessie Amelia Small Erickson was born Aug. 10, 1916, in East Bucksport, Hancock, Maine. She passed away at her home in Archer, Idaho, on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009. She was 92 years, 11 months and 22 days old.
Her siblings, and one grandson preceded her in death.
Her parents, Howard Edwin Small and Janet Beatrice Giberson, died in the 1918 flu epidemic and her grandparents, William and Maud Small, took the four orphans and raised them.
Her sweetheart, Norman B. Erickson, and their six children survive her. Her children are Eric Edwin (Beverly) Erickson, Georgia Maria Erickson, Norman Small (Susan) Erickson, Tonya Jean (Gerard) Junkert, Victor Small (Mona) Erickson and Herman Small (Michelle) Erickson.
She never lost her New England accent, which endeared her to family and friends. She loved Archer and her neighbors and living in the West.
In 1939, she left Maine and traveled to Archer, Idaho. She stayed with her recently married sister, Laurel Hacking. When she went to church, a young man named Norman saw her and nudged the fellow next to him in the choir and said, "That's the woman I'm going to marry." Thus East meets West, and they were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on March 11, 1941. She retired in 1981 from Ricks College, where she worked as a switchboard operator and in the David O. McKay Library. She loved her jobs and everyone there.
She and her husband served an LDS mission to Johannesburg, South Africa, from 1981 to 1982. In their family, they have been blessed with 26 members serving full-time missions and five members in the Armed Forces. They also served together for 20 years from 1984 to 2004 as Idaho Falls Temple workers. She was a Young Women leader, Relief Society leader and Primary teacher, dance director, choir member and the ward librarian for 20 years. She was always positive, happy and was adored by all her family. She was "Grammie" to 31 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at the Archer LDS Ward. A viewing will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., both at the church. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.flammfh.com.
Note from Michelle (23 October 2013):
"Their mission lasted until August of 1983."
Siblings:
Joy Clarence Small
Laurel Maud Small Hacking
Bessie Amelia Small Erickson
Valeda Irene Small Stetson
Obituary published in The Post Register (Idaho Falls, Idaho) 4 August 2009:
Bessie A. Erickson
Bessie Amelia Small Erickson was born Aug. 10, 1916, in East Bucksport, Hancock, Maine. She passed away at her home in Archer, Idaho, on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009. She was 92 years, 11 months and 22 days old.
Her siblings, and one grandson preceded her in death.
Her parents, Howard Edwin Small and Janet Beatrice Giberson, died in the 1918 flu epidemic and her grandparents, William and Maud Small, took the four orphans and raised them.
Her sweetheart, Norman B. Erickson, and their six children survive her. Her children are Eric Edwin (Beverly) Erickson, Georgia Maria Erickson, Norman Small (Susan) Erickson, Tonya Jean (Gerard) Junkert, Victor Small (Mona) Erickson and Herman Small (Michelle) Erickson.
She never lost her New England accent, which endeared her to family and friends. She loved Archer and her neighbors and living in the West.
In 1939, she left Maine and traveled to Archer, Idaho. She stayed with her recently married sister, Laurel Hacking. When she went to church, a young man named Norman saw her and nudged the fellow next to him in the choir and said, "That's the woman I'm going to marry." Thus East meets West, and they were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on March 11, 1941. She retired in 1981 from Ricks College, where she worked as a switchboard operator and in the David O. McKay Library. She loved her jobs and everyone there.
She and her husband served an LDS mission to Johannesburg, South Africa, from 1981 to 1982. In their family, they have been blessed with 26 members serving full-time missions and five members in the Armed Forces. They also served together for 20 years from 1984 to 2004 as Idaho Falls Temple workers. She was a Young Women leader, Relief Society leader and Primary teacher, dance director, choir member and the ward librarian for 20 years. She was always positive, happy and was adored by all her family. She was "Grammie" to 31 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at the Archer LDS Ward. A viewing will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., both at the church. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.flammfh.com.
Note from Michelle (23 October 2013):
"Their mission lasted until August of 1983."
Siblings:
Joy Clarence Small
Laurel Maud Small Hacking
Bessie Amelia Small Erickson
Valeda Irene Small Stetson
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