Karen Elaine Erickson

On November 12, 2017, a wonderful wife, mother, sister and friend passed away from protracted illness and multiple surgeries. She was surrounded by family at the time of her passing.
Karen Elaine Erickson was born on October 31, 1949, in Salida, California, to Bill and Garnetta Rackley. She grew up on a dairy farm working the dairy with her father, raising livestock and participating in 4H until they moved to the city of Modesto in 1956. She regaled her children with stories of life on the farm and growing up in the Central Valley of California.
She fell in love for the first time at the young age of six, when her parents started her in piano lessons. Bill and Garnetta started both their children on a musical path – Karen with her piano and her brother David with a trumpet. Both exhibited great aptitude, and the Rackley farm often echoed with the sounds of the siblings practicing their respective instruments.
In 1962, the Rackley family moved from the farm to the city of Modesto, California, where Karen entered Davis High School a few years later. She excelled academically, but her main interest was in music and theater. She gave recitals and performed music at every opportunity, and won many awards for her superb pianism.
In 1967, through an orchestra connection, she was introduced to Peter Harringer, and within a year they were married. In 1968, they welcomed a son into the world, Todd Harringer. They lived in a small house in Modesto and she focused on raising their child. In 1971 they welcomed their second son into the home, Matthew Harringer.
Shortly after the birth of Matthew, Karen developed a severe abdominal infection leading to a two-year journey through the medical system, including the better part of a year admitted to the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. After too many major surgeries, including the removal of a kidney and part of a lung, she was discharged from the hospital and returned to her family. Peter and Karen divorced shortly thereafter.
Karen started working, teaching piano during the day, and working at a local pub serving drinks and charming the regular customers with her voice and guitar. While working at the pub she met Lynn Erickson, and her life changed forever.
Karen took a ride on Lynn’s motorcycle shortly after meeting, and they never let go of each other again. Lynn brought two sons with him, Lars (b. 1965) and Andre (b. 1970), giving Karen four sons that she loved dearly. Karen and Lynn were living in Milpitas, Califonia, while Lynn worked as a test engineer at Lockheed when they decided to take Lynn’s current work project, testing an 8-wheel-drive beast of a truck as their wedding chariot. They combined driving the truck to Death Valley for hot weather testing with getting married and honeymooning. A stop on the way in Carson City on June 5, 1975, took care of the marriage part. Company-paid accommodations while getting paid for off-road challenges was a honeymoon to remember.
Karen involved herself with the boys' school and was a teacher’s aide at Todd and Matthew’s elementary school. She continued to teach music at home and at a local music store. She actively participated in a friend's campaign for the school board. She played and performed regularly with a guitarist friend, and the Erickson house, like the farmhouse she grew up in, was filled with music. Lars, Todd, Andre, and Matthew kept her busy, and she surrounded herself with many friends.
In 1980, the family moved to Manteca, California. Karen worked at the local library, and her children reveled in getting the first pick of the books that Karen got to order and sort. She also crafted ceramics , and as with everything she touched, she did it beautifully. A room in the house was converted to a mud room, with a kiln in the garage. Weekends were spent with the family going to flea markets to sell what she had made. In the summer of 1980, the family loaded up in a big new van and took the first “Big Trip” of the Erickson family, traveling around the western United States for three weeks.
Karen and Lynn moved to Hailey, Idaho, in December of 1981. Karen started working for a local optometrist, and as with her previous moves, became fast friends with multiple people in the community. She started writing for publication, and her stories were published in national magazines. She continued her music, embracing the vibrant local music scene. As a pianist, she provided the entertainment for the Sun Valley Lodge’s Sunday brunch and produced her “Brunch at Sun Valley” recording. She also met Susan Ames, an accomplished opera singer, and they made an album of inspirational music. With her original musical partner, her brother David, she brought out her third album, “One.”
Karen and Lynn continued to take the kids on road trips most summers, camping every summer, and embraced living in Idaho.
After the High School graduation of their youngest, Karen and Lynn moved to Logan, Utah. Karen returned to school, earning a B.A. in English with honors, and an M.A. in Technical Writing.
She and her friends formed a group they called the “Ladies Literary League”. They met and had lunch at Mulligans Tavern, talked, and supported each other, laughing the whole time.
Karen left her position as a lecturer at Utah State University English Department to join Lynn as he traveled for his work. They bought an RV and lived in California, Washington, Virginia, and Washington, DC, while still maintaining their home in Providence. They explored every location in their free time and enjoyed their RV lifestyle to the fullest. They weathered four hurricanes in one year in Florida! They made it to the farthest points, North, South, East, and West, of the continental US. They visited 49 states, and maintained friendships and formed new ones in their travels.
After her father passed away in 2002, Karen visited her mother frequently in Modesto. They took a road trip together in 2005, reminiscent of the trip they took in 1962. In 2006, Garnetta moved to Logan and Karen enjoyed spending time with her until Garnetta’s death in 2015.
Karen adored her four children and was the rock for the family. She was the family sounding board and maintained communication with all her family and friends.
In 2007, Karen was diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a rare bone marrow cancer, and, as with most of the challenges in Karen’s life, she faced it head on. Amazingly, after two years the disease entered an indolent phase. She never let it hold her back, and she and Lynn continued to travel. The disease reactivation two years ago was the underlying cause of her death.
She was proceeded in death by her parents, Bill and Garnetta Rackley.
She is survived by her husband, Lynn; her brother David (Cordelia) of Santa Maria, CA; her four children: Lars Erickson of Boise, ID; Todd Harringer of Denair, CA; Andre Erickson of Ceres, CA; Matthew (Pamela) of Anchorage, AK; and two grandchildren: Dane and Joshua Harringer, both of Modesto, CA.
A memorial get together will be held Thursday, November 16, at 4 pm at the Elements Restaurant, 35 E. 640 South, Logan, Utah. Join her family as we celebrate the life of this amazing woman who left us too young and too soon. Please no flowers. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in her honor to the charity of your choice.