Kenneth LaVerne Erickson, 86, Pierre, died Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006, at the Fort Meade VA Medical Center.

Visitation will be Tuesday, Jan. 17, from 8 a.m. until 10:45 a.m., at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. Family and friends may gather at the funeral home prior to leaving for the cemetery.

Graveside services are Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006, at 11 a.m., at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, with Pastor Brad Urbach officiating. The Sturgis Veteran's Honor Guard will provide military honors.

A memorial service is at Faith Lutheran Church, Pierre, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006, at 11 a.m. (CST).

Ken was born July 24, 1919, at Arlington, to Marvin A. and Emma S. (Dahl) Erickson. He served in the Pacific Theater in the U.S. Army during WWII and was assigned to Battery B, 31st Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Division. Ken married Maythel Giziewski at Harrold, on Dec. 29, 1947.

Survivors include his wife three sons and their wives, one daughter and her husband,one step-son and his wife, three sisters,11 grandchildren,and five great-grandchildren.

Ken continued to serve his fellow veterans by donating 5,866 hours from September 1989 to July 2005 as a volunteer driver for the DAV. Ken accumulated over 100,000 miles during this tenure.