William "Bill" John Erickson

WILLIAM “BILL” JOHN ERICKSON was born on December 28, 1972 to Gary and Alice (Derby) Erickson in Pipestone, Minnesota. He attended school in Pipestone and graduated from Pipestone High School with the class of 1991. After high school he attended Jackson Area Vo-Tech in Jackson, Minnesota. He graduated with honors with an associate’s degree in auto body mechanics. He worked at Nordstrom’s in Garretson, South Dakota for a time, and then moved back to Pipestone and began working at Amdahl Motors in Pipestone. During his time in Pipestone he worked various contracting jobs, including for Pipestone Vault and Monument and for Southwest Concrete. During the last five or six years he crafted the pipestone in his own unique way, using it in ways that were very special. On Tuesday, February 17, 2015, Bill died at his home in Pipestone at the age of 42 years, one month, and 19 days.

Bill was a one of a kind person. Never has there been someone like him and there never will be. He loved animals; he enjoyed walking his dogs around town. He was an avid Chicago Bears fan. Bill used his skills as an auto body mechanic to work on and tinker with the 1966 Chevelle that has been passed around the Erickson family. Creating unique, one-of-a-kind items out of pipestone was a favorite pastime of Bill’s. Whenever he created an item it was always with a specific person in mind to gift it to. Family was very important to Bill; he loved being an uncle and truly enjoyed spending time with his whole family. Growing up, Bill enjoyed racing cars with his dad in Slayton, Gary always came along as Bill’s pit crew if he wasn’t racing alongside him. He was a quick witted person, he always teased the people he loved but then followed up with words of kindness. Bill had a tough exterior, however, if he allowed you in he was as soft and playful as a kitten. He truly had a heart of gold.

Bill is lovingly remembered by his parents, Gary and Alice Erickson of Pipestone; one son, Mason Hoffman; his siblings, Travis (Lisaan Evenson) Erickson of Pipestone, Lisa Peacock of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Marge (Dave) DeRuyter of Holland, Minnesota, and Trevor (Julie Sackett) Erickson of Flandreau, South Dakota, Mark (Gema Samper) Gerdes of Seville, Spain, Scot (Satomi) Gerdes of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Greg (Angela) Gerdes of Wolf Point, Montana, Julie Gerdes of Anoka, Minnesota; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Bill was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, William and Iva Erickson; maternal grandparents, Harvey and Ethel Derby; two cousins, Todd Tellinghuisen (who was like a brother to Bill) and Jeff Derby Jr.; and two uncles, Chuck Derby and Jeff Derby Sr.