Marjorie Ann Erickson
Daughter of Fay and
Andus Erickson
Marjorie Ann Erickson August
23, 1927 - September 30, 1935
By Doug Boilesen 2018
Fay Vogt married Andrew Erickson
on June 28, 1922 at Elba, Nebraska. The couple farmed near Elba
and later in the Wolbach, Scotia and Cotesfield areas until moving
into Elba in 1966. They had one daughter, Marjorie Ann, who died
when she was 8 years and 28 days after "an illness of the
heart of six weeks duration."
Fay and Andrew 'Andus' Erickson
were married on June 28, 1922.
Marjorie Ann passed away on September 20,
1935 and it was a devastating loss.
I knew few details about Marjorie Ann when
I was growing up. I remember when I was eight or nine and we were
visiting my aunt and uncle on their farm and I went up to their
'attic' and saw an old cast iron small bed/crib. I came downstairs
and asked whose bed it was. The response from my aunt, or lack
thereof, made me think that I had asked something that I shouldn't
have. This would have been approximately 25 years after Marjorie's
death but it was apparent that Marjorie was not a subject for
discussion.
Eighty-five years after Marjorie's
death I discovered a book that my mom had inherited from her sister
Fay titled Treasured Memories. It was a book that had been
given by the Keating Funeral Home in 1935 as a "memorial
in the hope that it may cause cherished memories to linger through
the years." Inside it had a pocket containing some photographs
and ephemera related to Marjorie.
Prior to finding Treasured
Memories I only knew of two pictures of Marjorie Ann.
The following add the new-found
photos to her memory and are an opportunity to "speak the
name" of Marjorie Ann Ericksen. She was loved by my mother,
by her schoolmates and friends and relatives, and, of course,
was the world to my Aunt and Uncle.
Marjorie Ann circa early 1928
Marjorie Ann early 1929
Betty Ann (on right) c. 1929
holding the hand of her young niece Marjorie Ann
Marjorie Ann c.1930
Marjorie Ann c.1931
(far right)
Marjorie Ann's 4th Birthday
and Betty Ann's 7th Birthday Celebrations were noted in the St.
Paul Phonograph newspaper, September 2, 1931
Anna Barr far left, Fay in
middle with left hand on Marjorie Ann, school near St. Paul, NE,
c. 1932
Marjorie Ann 1933-34 School
Year
Marjorie Ann at Howard County
School c.1934
Marjorie Ann c.1934
Written on back "Marjorie
Ann 1935 from Miss Jess" (front row, far right)
Fotomat photos inside "Treasured
Memories" - Marjorie Ann 1935
Marjorie Ann's final report
card
Valentine's Day cards
probably given to Marjorie Ann in 1934 and 1935
Valentine card to Marjorie
from Betty (probably from her cousin Betty Barr)
To Marjorie Ann from Elaine
(Elaine Yost was a flower
girl at Marjorie's funeral)
Marjorie from Charles S.
To Marjorie Ann from Dorothy
Jean (Dorothy Jean Vogt was her cousin)
Valentine Postcard - Marjorie
Ann from Marvel
To Marjorie Anne From Therese
and Jeanet
To Marjorie Ann from Francis
To Marjorie Ann from Ralph
To Marjorie Ann from Dorothy
Jean (Dorothy Jean Vogt was her cousin)
To Marjorie Ann from Lois
To Marjory Ann Ericksen From
Harriett (Harriett Jacobsen was a flower
girl at Marjorie's funeral)
To Marjorie Ann from Verna
Jean
1935 Montgomery Ward Catalog
To Marjorie Ann from Jerome
To Marjorie Ann from Irene
This 4" x 2.5" drawing
was probably made by Marjorie Ann (found inside "Treasured
Memories" pocket)
Marjorie Ann's Aunt Ivy sent
Marjorie a letter on Monday September 16, 1935 starting with "I
wonder if you won't be surprised when you get a letter today with
the mail man."
It is a poignant letter since
Marjorie had been ill for several weeks but on that very Monday
a Nurse had been obtained for Marjorie as her condition had worsened.
I'm sure my Aunt Fay read this letter to Marjorie Ann and it was
one of the letters that Fay would keep in her "Treasured
Memories" book. Here is the transcript and the original letter:
Monday.
Dear Marjorie Ann:
I wonder if you won't be surprised
when you get a letter today with the mail man.
Larry Dean & I can't come
see you just yet so we'll have to talk to you on paper, how's
that? Now if we just had a fairy telephone maybe we could talk
that way woudn't that be fun?
Were you a little closer I
might could tell you a story if I could find one you don't know.
I'm afraid that would be hard to do as I know you know a lot of
them. You are just a real smart little girl in school and who
wouldn't want to own a nice little girl like you? Could I come
steal you so Larry had some one to play with. He gets into so
much mischief, it almost wears his mama out, finding where he
is at.
Last Thurs. I hunted so long
for him. I thought he must have fallen in the creek but didn't
know how he could get there but I found him he had crawled thru'
a hole in the fence & was going near the creek. -- his face
was scratched and dirty as a little pig.
I didn't spank him but he
was a naughty boy wasn't he?
I'll bet the little crippled
chick was glad to see you back home again. And have you been building
with the tinker toys? I know you can make all the pictures shown
by now.
Time flies fast little Marjorie
and soon you'll be up as well as ever. Then perhaps we can come
see you.
Larry is still asleep this
is Mon. morn but he's sending one of those nice (sticky) kisses
for you O.
Lots & lots of love from
Ivy, Larry & Sam.
Ivy also added on the last page
a note to Fay expressing how hard she knows it must be and says
"I shed many tears for you & Marjorie but I feel now
all will be just fine." There is also some guilt expressed
by Ivy that she recently visited and asks "Did that make
Marjorie worse?"
Another comment from Ivy indicates
that Manley was very sick at the time. Ivy said that she had sent
Fay's mother (wife of Manley Barr) a letter, adding "I appreciate
letters when in sickness so she may too and I feel so sorry for
her -- she has had too much grief in this world & bears it
all so well. I hope & pray it will all turn out better than
they expect tho' I know so little."
The St. Paul Phonograph
newspaper
Inside a pocket in Treasured
Memories was a photograph of Marjorie's graveside and casket.
Documenting this scene emphasized for me the contradictions of
loss that my aunt must have been experiencing. To always remember
Marjorie Ann, but also apparently wanting to keep this very private,
putting away all photographs and reminders of Marjorie after her
passing. It's the only explanation I've come up with as to why
my aunt didn't want a marker on Marjorie Ann's grave.
After Aunt Fay passed my Uncle
Andus had a marker placed at her Marjorie's gravesite.
As I have written about my mom's love for
her sister Fay and her love for Marjorie Ann I'll repeat here
again that for me those are reasons enough to create this memorial
page. At the very least today, in this moment of time regarding
Marjorie Anne Erickson, I can speak her name, say there is a connection
and that her life is remembered.
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