Obituary of John Forrest Erickson

John F. Erickson of Berthoud, Colorado passed away on January 2, 2024.

He was born in Wakefield, Nebraska on November 29, 1933. He was the youngest of four boys raised on a farm. The family relocated to Iowa in 1940. John graduated from Cherokee High School in 1951. 

He joined the U S Army in 1952 and was stationed in Fort Monmouth. After serving in the army, he attended refrigeration technical college in Omaha, Nebraska. In August of 1957, he married Martha Matson in Iowa Falls, Iowa. They moved to Berthoud in 1961.

John was known for his community involvement in Berthoud. He owned a refrigeration business for over 39 years. He was a volunteer firefighter for the Berthoud Fire Department for 25 years. John also served on the Berthoud Fire Protection District Board for 30 years. He most recently was a member of the Caretakers of Tradition with other past Berthoud firefighters working to preserve the history of the community volunteer fire and rescue services. John previously served on the Berthoud Town Board, McKee Hospital Board, Berthoud Methodist Church Board, and was a member of Kiwanis Club and Lions Club.

He enjoyed Swedish family history and traveled to Sweden 3 times to connect with family and explore the community where his father was from. John was a farmer at heart and liked following farming news and trends for their family farm in Iowa. He also enjoyed reading WWII books and watching rodeos.

He is survived by his wife Martha, son, daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 1:00pm at Greenlawn Cemetery in Berthoud, CO. Memorial contributions may be made to Caretakers of Tradition.