Lucille Joan Erickson

November 19, 1932 – August 4, 2025
Lucille Joan Erickson, age 92, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2025, at Windsor Manor Assisted Living in Indianola, Iowa.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, from Noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Community United Presbyterian Church in Hartford, Iowa. A lunch will be served, and guests are invited to share stories and memories in honor of her life. She will be laid to rest at the Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell, Iowa.
Lucille was born on a Saturday morning, November 19, 1932, on the family farm in Poweshiek County, six miles southeast of Grinnell, Iowa. She was the beloved daughter of Gordon Osborn and Fern Allyn (Rector) Osborn and one of six siblings: Neal, Keith, Gene, Blythe, and Karel. As the middle child, she was the oldest of the three sisters.
Lucille graduated from Brooklyn High School in 1949 and went on to pursue nursing at the Evangelical Deaconess Hospital in Marshalltown, Iowa. It was at a dance during this time that she met the love of her life, George H. Erickson Jr. They married on August 9, 1952, at the First Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, Iowa, and honeymooned for two weeks in California.
After living briefly in Marshalltown while Lucille completed her senior year of nurses training, the couple relocated to Hartford, Iowa, where Lucille chose to step away from nursing to start a family. They lived in a small trailer on their property while designing and building their own home. When the basement was complete, they moved in and continued to build the main floor. Eventually, the ranch-style house was finished and became home to the couple and their four children: Ron, Jim, Linda, and Connie.
Lucille became Acting Postmaster in June 1961, succeeding Kathy Isley. Her formal appointment as Postmaster of Hartford was made by President Lyndon B. Johnson in March 1964. She retired from the U.S. Postal Service in October 1992 after 31 years of service.
In retirement, Lucille and George traveled extensively, including three trips to Alaska. She enjoyed many hobbies throughout her life: bowling, playing card games, Monopoly, cribbage, Mahjong, crocheting, and fishing.
Lucille is survived by her children: Ron Erickson, Linda (F. John) Eastwood, and Connie (Nick) Linnane; her grandchildren: Ashley Erickson, David Erickson, Aaron Erickson, Kristina Linnane, and Katie Linnane; five great-grandchildren; her brother Gene Osborn; and her sister Karel Shults.
She was preceded in death by her husband George; her parents: Gordon and Fern Osborn; three siblings: Neil Osborn, Keith Osborn and Blythe (Osborn) Johnson, and her son Jim Erickson.
We are grateful and blessed to have had Lucille in our lives. She was the heart of our family and a valued member of the Hartford community. Her warmth, kindness, and strength touched many lives. Though she has moved on to begin the next chapter in her journey, she will live on in our hearts and be deeply missed.