Martha Lake Adams Erickson

1921 - 2018

Martha Lake Adams Erickson

Naples, FL

Martha Erickson was born on May 13th 1921 to Elsie Herrick and Harold Eugene Adams. She was the oldest of 4 children. She is predeceased by her siblings, Harold Eugene Adams, Jr, Robert Herrick Adams and Nancy Garwood Adams.

Martha married Gustaf Walter ("Rick") Erickson, Jr, MD, September 24th, 1944. He died on August 20th, 2003. She is survived by all her children: Garwood Elliott Erickson (Carol, ne Wyborski); Robin McWilliams Erickson Gebrian (Jeffrey Gebrian); and Quincy Adams Erickson (Stephen Nagle); grandchildren, Molly Gebrian; Chris Erickson (Jill Slattery); Eric Gebrian (Crystal); Arianna Nagle (Jeff Roetting), Herrick Erickson-Brigl, and Jason Erickson; and 3 great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.

Martha graduated from Northfield/Mount Herman Schools, and earned her BS and MS from Michigan State and Purdue University. Martha and Rick settled in South Bend, Indiana where Rick practiced Pediatrics. In South Bend, Martha formed an auxiliary at Northern Indiana Children's Hosp., and helped establish a School for Practical Nurses. She co-organized the St. Joseph County Scholarship Foundation, and a Planned Parenthood chapter. When Gary went to High School, the building was overcrowded, unsanitary and a fire hazard, so Martha got to work organizing schools. Four years later, South Bend had 2 new high schools and 4 remodeled ones.

Martha was trained as a Dietitian. After her children left for college, Martha became involved with the Nutrition component for the Head Start program in her county, rising to become Director of the Region. Some years later, she led a nutrition education program in the South Bend Schools. She was an adjunct professor of nutrition at Indiana University-South Bend and owner of a Nutrition Counseling company. In between patients, she wrote Eat for the Health of It (1997). Rick and Martha moved to Bonita Springs in 1990. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, the Junior League of Northern Indiana, the P. E. O., Rotary Club, Colonial Dames of America, and First Presbyterian Church of South Bend, among many others.

When Martha was 6 months old her father captained his uncle Simon Lake's prototype submarine on a test run in Long Island Sound. Due to a mechanical malfunction, the submarine sank to the bottom of the Sound. Using ingenuity, creativity and determination Harold figured out a way to raise the torpedo end of the boat up close to the water line, and send a man out through the torpedo tube. This led to a rescue, saving the crew. Those traits have been passed on and colored the lives of Harold's descendants, including Martha, and are strong traits of the following generations.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Thursday, September 13th, 2018 from 2pm-4pm at Bentley Village in the Palmetto Room of the East Clubhouse on Retreat Drive (701 Retreat Drive, Naples, FL 34110).

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the G. Walter and Martha A. Erickson Scholarship Fund of The Bentley Village Foundation (701 Retreat Drive Suite 400, Naples, FL 34110).