Raymond J. Erickson

FLORENCE - RAYMOND J. "RAY" ERICKSON, 68, OF FLORENCE PASSED AWAY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008 AT HIS HOME. HE WAS BORN ON AUGUST 3, 1940 TO ELMER AND EILEEN ERICKSON.

RAY, HIS YOUNGER BROTHER, BOB AND HIS PARENTS LIVED IN CHOTEAU, MT. HE SPENT MANY SUMMERS AT HIS GAANDMOTHER'S RANCH IN HELMVILLE. AS HE GREW OLDER HE WORKED ON RANCHES AROUND CHOTEAU. AFTER HIS GRADUATION FROM CHOTEAU HIGH SCHOOL HE JOINED THE NAVY AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1959.

RAY ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA WHERE HE MET KAREN HURRIE, HIS WIFE OF 41 YEARS. RAY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE RODEO CLUB FOR MANY YEARS. HE GRADUATED WITH A DEGREE IN FORESTRY.

RAY BEGAN WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE LANDS AND HE AND KAREN MOVED TO OLNEY, MONTANA AND FROM THERE THEY MOVED TO CLEARWATER.

THEIR NEXT MOVE WAS TO MISSOULA, WHERE HE WAS THE MISSOULA UNIT MANAGER AND THEY EVENTUALLY MOVED TO FLORENCE.

RAY WAS AN AVID HUNTER, FISHERMAN AND VOLUNTEER FOR THE

FLORENCE FIRE DEPARTMENT. HE SHARED HIS LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS WITH

HIS WIFE AND THEIR CHILDREN, EMMY AND JOE.

AFTER RAY RETIRED HE FULLFILLED A PROMISE HE HAD MADE TO KAREN

41 YEARS EARLIER. HE, WITH KAREN'S HELP, BUILT A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE COTTAGE NEAR THE OCEAN IN NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

RAY WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS; HIS SON, JOE; HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, JERRY HAYES AND OTHERS HE LOVED TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION.

HE LEAVES BEHIND HIS WIFE KAREN OF FLORENCE; HIS DAUGHTER EMMY OF MISSOULA; HIS BROTHER BOB AND HIS WIFE LINDA AND THEIR CHILDREN OLIVIA AND ANDY ALL OF HELENA; HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW, SHIRLEY HAYES OF FLORENCE; HIS AUNT FAYE RAYMOND AND HER FAMILY OF MISSOULA; HIS COUSINS, EILEEN STONE AND FAMILY OF THOMPSON FALLS, MT AND DARLENE MANNIX AND FAMILY OF HELMVILLE, MT; DEAR FRIENDS, SONNEY AND CARRIE LUE WARNER AND MIKE SMITH ALL OF FLORENCE. TOM AND DAN MARTIN OF FLORENCE MADE RAY'S LIFE ALL THE HAPPIER BY BEING PART OF IT. RAY WOULD NEVER FORGET THE LOVE HE HAD FOR PAT AND ALFRED LEBLANC AND FAMILY, NOEL AND DIANE MCGRAW AND ADRIENNE AND MARTIN POWER ALL FROM NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.