Thomas J. Erkens

HAZEN, N.D. - Thomas J. Erkens, 46, of Hazen, died of natural causes at his residence in Hazen on July 6, 2005. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. MDT, on Tuesday, July 12, at New Life Assembly of God, in Beulah, with Rev. Ron Enget and Rev. Ed Langeliers officiating. Interment will follow at a later date at Ft. Ripley, Minn.
Tom was born on May 21, 1959, to Jim and Carol (Reichert) Erkens of Brainerd, Minn. He spent most of his life in Billings and Butte, Mont. He graduated from Billings West High School in 1977 and graduated from MSU in Bozeman, Mont., with a BS degree in computer science. He had worked at Montana Power Co. in Butte and Dakota Gasification Plant in Beulah, ND. Most recently, he was employed by Impact of Hazen.
Tom struggled with Asperger's Syndrome which made social interactions difficult for him, especially during his elementary and junior high school years, as there was little known at that time about this disease.
His brother and sisters were always there for him. Tom had a loving heart and enjoyed traveling, taking care of his cars and listening to his music.
Tom is survived by his parents, Jim and Carol Erkens of Red Lodge, Mont.; his sisters, Debra Van Dover and her husband Bob of Gresham, Ore., and Linda Heitstuman and her husband James, of Longmont, Colo.; a brother, Ron of Newman Lake, Wash.; his nephews, Mike and Steve Van Dover, Cortland Erkens; nieces, Kayla and Megan Heitstuman; four aunts, Gae Wicklund, Joyce Moran, Joan Norman and Nancy Gunderson; one uncle, Bob Erkens and 20 first cousins.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Elmer and Phoebe Reichert and Bert and Sylvia Erkens, and by a cousin, Rick Norman. His Grandma Reichert was a very special person to him.
Instead of memorials, the family asks that you do some community volunteer work in Tom's memory, or treat with kindness someone you may meet who is a little "different," in Tom's memory.
Arrangements conducted by Seibel Funeral Home of Beulah and Hazen.