Olaf Peter Erie
Olaf Peter Erie, 77, beloved father, grandfather, brother and friend, left us to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, on March 12, 2005, after a courageous 14-month battle with cancer.
Olaf was born on Sept. 29, 1927, to Jacob and Viola Erie on the family farm near Brinsmade, N. D., four minutes after his twin sister, Jordis. He attended a country grade school near the farm until the family moved to Eureka, on Sept 27, 1937. He finished grade school and 2 1/2 years of high school in Eureka, enlisted in the U.S. Army on Nov 9, 1945, and served with the 29th Engineers as a carpenter and engineer in the Philippine Islands. He received the World War II Victory Medal and was discharged on Sept 20, 1948. He worked for the Great Northern/Burlington Northern railroad as a brakeman/conductor and retired in 1992 after 47 years. He married Marie Ann Hammons on Dec 6, 1949, in Missoula and they moved and raised their three children in Whitefish until April 2000, when they moved to Kalispell.
He was a coach and umpire for little league baseball, active in boy scouts, played Santa Claus for the Moose Lodge for many years, served as a mediator for the Railroad Boxcar Association, participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and for Easter Seals. He was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish and Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kalispell. He was also an active member of the Moose Lodge and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 276.
Olaf was a very hard working man who loved to laugh. He enjoyed all kinds of sports, especially baseball, and loved to watch his favorite team, the Atlanta Braves. He also attended high school football and basketball games in Whitefish and Kalispell and watched golf, basketball, baseball, boxing and gymnastics on TV. He was an avid fly fisherman, grew beautiful roses and tomatoes, took great pride in his lush, green yard, loved to play cards, visit with his friends and family, tell jokes and tease everyone. He loved small animals, was a great dancer and enjoyed all kinds of music. He enjoyed the Glacier Symphony and Chorale and Flathead High School Choir Concerts. He was also a very kind, generous and loving man who brought joy to everyone around him and he will be greatly missed by all who loved him.
Olaf was preceded in death by his sisters Lois and Marilyn in infancy, his parents, Jacob and Viola, his son, Donald, in 2002 and his wife, Marie, in 2003. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Randy Augusta, son, Jacob, sisters, Jordis Swanson and Ardis Checkettes, brother and sister-in-law, Gene and Eileen Erie, brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Norman and Irene Erie, grandchildren, Russell Devires, Cheryl and Willis Brandt, Jada Marie Erie, Jason Brown and Diane Morrison, Cody Dwire, Sonja Bean of Spokane, Amra Erie, Brittney Jo Erie and Ryan Augusta, Him and Blair Ivy and unborn great grandchild, great grandchild, Allison Rose McDonald.
Thank you for the laughter, Dad, and keep the card game going…
A celebration of Olaf's life was held March 19 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church with the Rev. Larry Stappler officiating. Cremation has taken place and private burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 1002, Kalispell, MT 59904.