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Arlo Oscar Erickson, 86

Feb. 27, 1930 – Feb. 19, 2017

Arlo died Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017, at Wellspring Meadows Assisted Living in Hayden, Idaho. He was surrounded by his family and the staff who had become his friends. He may have passed away, but memories of him live on. Born in Miller, Iowa, to Fern and Oscar Erickson, he excelled in sports and hard work on surrounding farms.

Arlo became an all-state tackle on the Garner, Iowa, football team, earning an athletic scholarship to play at the University of Iowa upon his graduation from high school. He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in animal science. His studies were interrupted by the Korean War during which he served in Greenland as a Veterinary Technician.

While studying in Ames, Iowa, he met his future spouse, Marjorie Anne Nelson. They both worked at the student union at Iowa State University and married on May 17, 1952. They would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this spring. His family marvels that by age 27, Arlo had married, served in the Air Force, earned a college degree, begun a career as a salesman with the Moormans Livestock Feed Company, and had four children. Needless to say, he was a hard worker, wishing to keep his hand to the plow all the days of his life. He was the most content with a job to do, a baby to hold, or a garden to tend.

While his four children were in school, Arlo made a point of going to work early in order to be home about the time his kids were done with school. He loved to watch their athletic team practices, help with their 4-H projects, or just do chores together. As the kids grew older, he would travel long distances to see their college wrestling tournaments, hustling home afterward to feed his cows waiting back at the farm in Clear Lake, Iowa.

After 30 years of selling livestock feed to Iowa farmers, Arlo decided to retire at the age of 55. He and Marjorie sold the farm and headed west, arriving in North Idaho the summer of 1985. Ready to get busy again, they purchased a Real Estate Sign Service. Within no time, they became acquainted with North Idaho, as they traveled north, south, east and west of their home base in Hayden, digging post holes and putting up signs for homes and property going on the real estate market. Five years later Arlo learned about jobs planting trees for timber companies in the area. That ultimately led to an opportunity to do Forest Service work fighting fires. He was in his 60s and had to pass a “step up test” to be eligible, but pass he did. That was a summer Arlo would never forget!

In 1995, Arlo and Marge drove back to his mother, Fern’s funeral in Northern Iowa. On the return trip home they stopped in South Dakota to see the Belgian horses for sale at the Boys Ranch. The pregnant mares looked good to Arlo. He’d always wanted his own team to raise and train. In 1996, the Boys Ranch delivered three colts to the Erickson acreage in Hayden. Arlo was 66 and in his glory. Many fulfilling years followed. He trained the colts to pull a cart or wagon, which led to their entrants in the Draft Horse show in Sandpoint and the Kootenai County Fair. Arlo eventually trained them to do horse logging jobs in the surrounding mountains. He had found his favorite occupation.

Arlo was a member of Friends Church in Hayden. He enjoyed volunteering the year they built the school addition. He also volunteered at Kootenai Medical Center for many years.

Arlo is survived by his wife, Marjorie, at home in Hayden; and a brother, Dean (Sharon) in Nebraska. Also his four children, Richard (Marcie) of Tongonoxie, Kan., Bob (Colette) of Hayden, Don (Becky) of Ames and Dawn (David) of Windsor, Colo. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at noon Saturday, March 4, 2017, at Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel, 373 E. Hayden Ave., with a reception to follow.

Memorials can be made to the Lake City Community Church Food Bank or Hayden Anthem Little Friends Preschool.

Please visit Arlo’s online memorial and sign his guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.