Marshall Erickson, age 46 of rural Wilton, ND passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 7 at his residence, following a heroic battle with brain cancer.

Funeral Services: 11:00 AM Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008;
Sunne Lutheran Church - rural Wilton, ND;
Rev. Paul Schauer, Officiating; & Rev. Barry Durkee, Assisting.

Interment: 1:00 PM Thursday at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery – Mandan.
Military Rites provided by the Minot Air Force Base Honor Guard

Visitation: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Wednesday at Goetz Funeral Home – Washburn,
Thursday, one hour prior to time of service at the church.

Marshall was born Dec. 5, 1961 in Bismarck, ND son of John S. & Lila (Piepkorn) Erickson. He attended school in Wilton and participated in football and basketball. He was voted M.V.P. of his football team, All Conference, and Homecoming King his senior year, graduating from Wilton High School in 1980. His son, Brandon, was born in 1981. Marshall farmed and operated a dairy with his parents until enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 1986 and served as an air traffic controller until 1996. He was selected Strategic Air Command Controller of the Year in 1991. In May 1992, he received a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics degree from Embry Riddle University and later received a Master of Business Administration in Aviation degree in May 1996. Following his honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1996, he was commissioned in the Army National Guard and purchased his family farm. In 1999, he returned to active duty in the Air Force and served as a Medical Services Corps Officer. Marshall married Catherine Burke on April 2, 2005 in Rapid City, SD while they were stationed together at the Ellsworth Air Force Base. Later that year, Catherine moved to their home on the farm while Marshall served in South Korea, returning home in June 2006. Marshall commuted daily to the Minot Air Force Base until May 2007. He retired in the rank of Major in September 2007. He was then able to fulfill his life-long dream of spending his retirement years on the family farm. During his military career, he received many commendations for meritorious service and was highly respected by his Airmen, soldiers, colleagues, and superior officers. Marshall enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid sportsman, fisherman and hunter. His most recent trophy was a bear he harvested while hunting in Manitoba in June 2008. Marshall was a pilot and enjoyed flying his Cessna 182 airplane. Throughout his battle with cancer, Marshall derived much inspiration from his son Brandon, who after losing his right arm while serving in Iraq, persevered to become a National Champion triathlon competitor and is currently attending law school.

Marshall is survived by his wife, Catherine Erickson of Wilton; son, Brandon (Dana) Erickson of Orange, CA; parents, John & Lila Erickson of Wilton; brother, Elwood (Janell) Erickson of Shepherd, MT; sister, Marie Erickson (Kevin Crago) of Terra Bella, CA; & many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces & nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Wilton School Athletics Department (504 Dakota Ave., Wilton, ND 58579).