John Erickson, a child of the plains of the Midwest, passed away on Feb. 4, 2010.

Erickson grew up in various South Dakota and Nebraska towns. His father was a minister, so part of his upbringing was meeting new people in new places. He loved academia, the mental exercise and the chance to share knowledge with others. After graduating from Yankton College, he went to serve as an instructor in the Army Air Corps. At the end of the war he married his first wife -- a girl from Omaha -- and they stayed in Omaha, went to Omaha University and had a son.