Ione L. Erickson

Ione L Erickson, 84, of Forest City, passed away Monday, March 4, 2019 at the Hancock County Health System, in Britt, surrounded by her loving children.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Friday, March 8, 2019 at the Forest City United Methodist Church in Forest City with Pastor Les Green officiating.

Burial will be held in Madison Township Cemetery in Forest City.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 P.M., Thursday, March 7, 2019 at Cataldo Schott Funeral Chapel, 505 N. Clark St., Forest City.

The family requests donations to the Forest City United Methodist Church, the Hancock County Health System, and the Alzheimer’s Association in lieu of flowers.

Ione Louise Nesset was born May 15, 1934, in Forest City, Iowa to Leo and Ingrid Nesset. She attended Forest City High School. On October 14, 1950, Ione married Robert K Erickson, and shortly after their marriage, he was drafted in the Korean War. Ione was a stay at home mom, raising six girls before starting work as a cook at Forest City Schools, from 1978 until her retirement in 1996. She was known for her fabulous baking, especially around the holidays. Each year the grandkids would get a plate of her homemade Valentine’s cookies. Ione took great pride in finding out each family member’s favorite foods and creating them when you came to visit.

Bob and Ione made their home in Forest City their entire married life, but their dream came true when they purchased a cabin on Lake Jefferson, near Cleveland, Minnesota. For twenty years Bob and Ione spent part of the year at the cabin, where Ione made her famous buttermilk pancakes each morning when the grandkids were visiting. Ione rarely sat still until after supper finding time to view the sunset over the lake or sit on the deck. When Bob’s health began to fail, they sold their cabin and Ione spent her time caring for her husband. In 2015, Ione moved to Mills Harbor Assisted Living in Lake Mills, and in 2017 she moved to the Good Samaritan Center in Forest City. Ione loved to share chocolates and goodies with the staff at Good Sam and enjoyed keeping up on their families and lives.

Those surviving Ione are her girls, Carol (Randy) Shirk of Britt, Julie (Don) Olson of Thompson, Linda (Larry) Severson of Forest City, Sheila (Bob) Berger of Lake Mills, Jenifer (Claude) Thayer of Emmetsburg, and Amy Erickson of North Liberty; her grandchildren, Mason (Amanda) Shirk, Clay (Krista) Shirk, Joshua (Jenna) Olson, Aaron (Felicity) Olson, Tiffany (Seth) Young, Marcus (Nikki) Severson, Jared (Steph) Finer, Jennie (Andrew) Knudtson, Jordynn Finer, Bennett Berger, and Brianna Faulkner; her great-grandchildren Tegan and Kellen Shirk, Zoe Shirk, Amelia, Audrey, and Harrison Olson, Taelen and Brexten Young, and Carter and Kasyn Severson; her sisters Arlene Knapper and Shirley (Carl) Heimstra, and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Ione was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Robert, and her sister, Elsie Mechem and brother, Kari Olsen.