Erickson, Andrew Emanuel (1889-1919)

ERICKSON, LEKSELL, ANDERSON, ANGSTROM

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:02

Webster City Freeman, Webster City, Iowa, Monday, March 24, 1919

Soldier Dies in France

Stratford Courier: Stratford has again been called upon to mourn the death of one of her splendid soldier boys - the eighth one since the entrance of this country into the war with Germany.

On Tuesday morning a dispatch was received here from the war department that Andrew Erickson had died in a hospital in France of bronchial pneumonia after being in the hospital for several months. He was a son of Mrs. Andrew [Margreta Leksell] Erickson, who resides two miles east of Stratford. Besides his heartbroken mother, he leaves to mourn his death two sisters, Mrs. Hilder Anderson and Mrs. Nels Angstrom, and two brothers, E.G. and Alfred Erickson, all of whom live in this community. And a host of friends too, are saddened by the passing of this young man.

Andrew Erickson was a member of Co. II, 16th Infantry, 1st division. He left here with the increment on July 26. On November 7, just four days before the signing of the armistice, he was wounded on the firing line and taken to the hospital. His injuries consisted of a badly wounded leg and were not thought at the time to be very serious, but he was nevertheless confined to the hospital with them from that time until his death Feb. 28. In a letter received by his sister, Mrs. Hilder Anderson, which was dated February 11, he told that he was getting along nicely and expected to be home very soon. There was no hint of any serious trouble in the letter and it was expected that he would soon be on his way home.

Private Erickson was a little past 20 years of age. He was an honest and upright young man, a member of the local Lutheran church, and all Stratford and community is saddened that he should be one to answer the call after the terrific struggle was over. He gave his life that the world might have freedom and liberty from the tyrannical rule of a brutish and beastial monarch, and his honored remains fill the grave of a hero and a martyr to the cause.

[South Marion Cemetery, Stratford, Iowa]