Elaine Ruth Erickson

Elaine Ruth Erickson (nee Manna), 92, of Waukesha, passed away August 20, 2021, at New Perspective Senior Living. She was under the care of her loving family and Vitas Hospice. Thanks to everyone at New Perspective and Vitas for your love and caring hands in her final days. Elaine was born December 10, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, to Adolph Manna and Hedwig Ruth Manna. Elaine said that growing up in Chicago was almost like living in a small town because Chicago is a city of 77 neighborhoods. Her neighborhood was officially designated as Austin. She graduated from Trinity High School in 1946, an all-girls Catholic school in River Forest, Illinois where she fondly remembers taking four years of Latin which proved to be an excellent background for English grammar. After graduating from high school, she attended Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin where she was the editor of the college yearbook, creating the layouts and working with other students to publish The Torch. On August 27, 1949, she married Howard Oswald Erickson at Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago. After a short honeymoon Howard and Elaine moved to Miles City, Montana where Howard worked as a court reporter in Circuit Court and Elaine worked as a secretary to the owner of Zahn’s Department Store. After living in Montana, Howard and Elaine moved to Racine, Wisconsin, and were blessed with three children, Kenneth, Bruce, and Douglas. Elaine’s favorite pastimes were spent playing golf and bridge. After joining Meadowbrook Country Club in Racine, Wisconsin she excelled as one of the Club’s most formidable golfers. She loved playing golf with friends and family and was the Ladies’ Golf Chairwoman and President of the Women’s Association. She made many lifelong friends at Meadowbrook. After her husband retired, Elaine and Howard became snowbirds in Punta Gorda, Florida for six months of the year and in their condo in Racine, Wisconsin in Wind Point, just a few blocks from Lake Michigan. Of course, one of the first things they did when they moved to Florida was to join St. Andrew’s South Golf Club in Punta Gorda, Florida, Elaine and Howard played in and won many of the Club’s couples’ events. She was the first to win a Senior Women’s trophy and won it several years later. Amazingly, she won her last Sr. Club Championship ten years ago at the age of 82. She was also a member of The Congregational United Church of Christ in Punta Gorda, Florida. Elaine is survived by her children, Kenneth (Peg) Erickson of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Douglas (Jodi) Erickson of Waukesha, Wisconsin; daughter-in-law Debi (Bruce) of Memphis, TN; sister Dorothy Poulin of Fayetteville, Pennsylvania; four grandchildren, Keith (Brenna) Erickson of Jacksonville, Florida, Jodi (Tyrel) Witcher of Memphis, Tennessee, Krista Erickson of Waukesha, Wisconsin; Ryan Erickson of Waukesha, Wisconsin. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 67 years, Howard Erickson and son, Bruce Erickson. The family will have a Celebration of Life gathering at Morningstar Golf Club at a future date. In lieu of flowers, people can make donations to the Evans Scholars Foundation (https://www.wgaesf.org/) which pays for high-achieving caddies with limited financial means.