DeLoris “De” Erickson, long time Minnehaha County Treasurer, passed away quietly on June 8, 2017 at Good Samaritan Nursing Home. She was 88 years old. Funeral Services will be held at 1:00pm Tuesday, June 13 at First Lutheran Church, 327 S. Dakota Ave., Sioux Falls, SD. Interment to follow at Dell Rapid Cemetery. On-line condolences may be left at the Miller Funeral Home website.
Pearl DeLoris Marjorie Erickson was born in Minot, ND on July 16, 1929 to Ole and Annetta (Otterness) Erickson. After the death of De’s father in 1935, the family moved to Dell Rapids, SD to live with their grandfather, Lars J. Otterness. De graduated from Dell Rapids Public School in 1947. She worked in Voy’s Drug Store in Dell Rapids for 3 years – 2 years while in high school and 1 year after graduation. In 1948, De began work in the Minnehaha County Treasurers Office where she served for 12 years. DeLoris was elected to the Minnehaha County Treasurers Office in 1960 where she served as treasurer for 38 years. She was elected to the Minnehaha County Treasurer’s Office 10 times.
De was an excellent French Horn Player in high school band. She excelled as a French horn soloist where she attained superiors in state competition. She also sang in the church and school choirs. She was an avid reader attaining awards for the number of books that she read from the public library. After graduation, she was a member of the Sioux Falls Republican Women’s organization and the National Republican Party, Legion Auxiliary, and the Snow Trackers Snow Mobile Club, and was an active member of First Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday School. She enjoyed bowling, golfing, snowmobiling, traveling, reading, and babysitting her nephews and niece. De was very kind and thoughtful of others. She was blessed with a charitable spirit helping others with her person and financial gifts.
Grateful for having shared her life are her brothers Milton (Joyce) Erickson and Eugene (Betty) Erickson; her nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
De was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Reuben Cyrus Erickson, who was killed in action in Korea.
Request that memorials be given to First Lutheran Church Media Ministry, First Lutheran Youth Group, or to McCrossan’s Boys Ranch.