Ruth Erickson

Ruth Catherine Erickson, 93
Ruth Catherine Erickson passed away peacefully on November 29,2015 in Fillmore, California. Her family was with her. A loving mother, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother, Ruth also enjoyed gardening, sewing, and music, and liked to travel. In addition, she had a long and successful career in government, business, and social service. Friends and family enjoyed Ruth's kindness, her steadfast nature, and her quick and often dry sense of humor.
Ruth was born on September 15, 1922 to Sam and Marie Wood Sherrill of Fruithurst, Alabama. After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class in Alabama, Ruth moved to Washington, D.C. to help in the World War II war effort. There she met Arthur W. Erickson, known to friends as Duke, a Marine corporal temporarily stationed in the area on his way to the Pacific Theater. They married in 1943 and had four children. They later divorced. Duke died in 1968.
In 1963 Ruth moved her family to Santa Maria, California. She married Milton Townsend in 1964. The couple had one son. They later divorced.
During her long career, Ruth worked for John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory at the time of their early satellite launches in the 1950s/1960s. She was a deputy city clerk for Santa Maria, California, and worked in banking and secretarial fields. She then worked for several years as a social worker for the state of Arizona, helping families impacted by the statewide closings of Arizona copper mines. After retiring from social work in her late 60s, Ruth even did a stint at McDonald restaurants, where she would "work circles around some of these youngsters."
Ruth inherited a strong religious faith from her mother, Marie Sherrill. While living in the LancasterlPalmdale area she attended Palmdale United Methodist Church. Ruth is survived by daughter Donna Erickson of Moscow, Idaho, daughter Cathy Wattell and husband Jim of Santa Paula, California, son Edward Erickson and wife Linh of North Hills, California, and daughter Sherry Gorman and husband Terry of Palmdale, California. She is also survived by her grandchildren Faith, Marilou, Stan, Kelly, Tracy, Amy, Candice, Michael, and Timothy, and many great grandchildren and great great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Her brother Roy and sister Mary died previously, as did her son Milton Townsend Jr.
The family is planning a small private service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Buena Vista Hospice Care, Inc., 143 Triunfo Canyon Rd. #103, Westlake Village, CA 91361.