Bessie Amelia Small Erickson passed away Sunday, August 2, 2009 at 5:51 p,m, MT

[Howard 'n Jane]

The last remaining child of Howard and Janet Giberson Small passed
away today. Here are email messages sent by Bessie's oldest son Eric
in the last few days:

I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that mom is not
doing well at this time. She was okay until Sunday night about
midnight. She had Dad help her to the bathroom and then just
collapsed. Dad helped her lay down and then called Norman. She has
gone downhill from there. We had a nurse come from Home Health and
gave her an IV Monday night. She was able to eat some chard and new
potatoes but was very tired. She had another IV Tuesday morning and a
Vit B12 shot and there seemed to be no difference. They have helped
her in the past. The nurses observed how tired and lethargic she
was. She has been quite distressed and disoriented and just so
tired. She and dad talked about this when we were all together
earlier this year and they said they didn't want any heroic efforts
made to sustain life when that time comes. Dad is watching her very
carefully. We put her on hospice care today so she can be as
comfortable as possible. She is sleeping very peacefully tonight
(Thursday) and there is one of us with her and dad at all times. They
are not up to receiving visitors and she can't talk on the phone
either so we will try to keep you informed how things are going. We
appreciate your prayers in their behalf. If you want more information
send us an email and we will try to call you as soon as we can. You
can let others in the family know if you would like.

Eric


Mom passed away peacefully today with Dad and Tonya by her side. She
had a tear out of each eye. We are sad to see her go but are happy
that she is with her family on the other side. We will let you know
later when the funeral will be.
Eric Edwin Erickson

Bessie will surely be missed by those of us in this life, but her
mother and father and all her other family members who have gone
before are having a wonderful party, and she is the life of it. The
tears shed for her include tears of joy as we think of Howard and
Janet finally embracing their little girl after 91 years of being
separated by the veil.

[Howard 'n Jane]

Obituaries were published in the Post Register (Idaho Falls, Idaho) on
4 August 2009 and can also be accessed at Flamm Funeral Home website.
A memorial was created on Find A Grave with links to parents and
siblings memorials. This stories have also been added to Bessie Amelia
Small (Erickson) on the Kenneth Elbert Hacking Family Tree on
Ancestry.com along with pictures. Additional stories and pictures are
welcomed to be added to the KEH FT and Find A Grave memorial.

http://www.legacy.com/PostRegister/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=130919739
http://www.flammfh.com/index.cfm
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40208518


Flamm Funeral Home
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bessie S. Erickson
(August 10, 1916 - August 2, 2009)

Bessie Amelia Small Erickson was born 10 August 1916 in East
Bucksport, Hancock, Maine. She passed away at her home in Archer Idaho
on Sunday 2 August 2009. She was 92years 11months and 22days old.
Her siblings, and one grandson preceded her in death. Her parents
Howard Edwin Small and Janet Beatrice Giberson died in the 1918 flu
epidemic and her grandparents, William and Maud Small, took the four
orphans and raised them.

Her sweetheart, Norman B Erickson, and their six children survive her.
Eric Edwin (Beverly) Erickson; Georgia Maria Erickson; Norman Small
(Susan) Erickson; Tonya Jean (Gerard) Junkert; Victor Small (Mona)
Erickson; Herman Small (Michelle) Erickson.

She never lost her New England accent, which endeared her to family
and friends. She loved Archer and her neighbors and living in the
West.

In 1939 she left Maine and traveled to Archer Idaho. She stayed with
her recently married sister Laurel Hacking. When she went to church a
young man named Norman saw her and nudged the fellow next to him in
the choir and said, “That’s the woman I’m going to marry.” Thus East
meets West and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 11,
1941. She retired in 1981 from Ricks College where she worked as a
switchboard operator and in the David O McKay Library. She loved her
jobs and everyone there.

She and her husband served an LDS mission to Johannesburg South Africa
1981-82. In their family they have been blessed with 26 members
serving full-time missions and five members in the Armed Forces. They
also served together for 20 years from 1984 to 2004 as Idaho Falls
Temple workers. She was a Young Women Leader, Relief Society Leader,
and Primary teacher, Dance Director, and Choir member and the ward
librarian for twenty years.

She was always positive, happy and was adored by all her family. She
was “Grammie” to 31 Grandchildren and 53 Great Grand Children.

Thursday night August 6th there will be a viewing at Archer Ward from
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Funeral Service will be held at the Archer Ward
Church House August 7th at 11:00 am with a viewing before from 9:30 am
to 10:45 am. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.flammfh.com.



On Aug 2, 11:59 pm, "Howard 'n Jane" <HowardnJanet.Smal...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Ruth]

Hi...I read this to my mother, Rachel Cunningham and she was very pleased to
know. Thanks, Ruth Cunningham