Obituary for Joseph M. "Joe" Erickson

Born on March 25, 1963, in La Crosse, WI to Donald “DD” Erickson and Kathleen Erickson. He graduated from Central High School in 1981, and worked at Bakalars Foods and Gateway/Fleming Foods until the time of their closure. Joe chose to return to school and graduated with honors from Western Technical College in 2007, with a degree in Radiography. He went straight into employment with Mayo Clinic Health System and was a CT Technologist at the time of his disability in 2024. He was known for his kindness and compassion towards patients and cared immensely about his co-workers. They were his second family.

Joe was a loving husband to his wife, Janet (Belling) of 34 years and a devoted and caring father to his children, Jacob and Joelle. Joe built his life around family and the outdoors, a generational tradition he shared with his father, his brother, and his friends. He valued whatever time he could spend outdoors, whether hunting, fishing, gardening, or simply enjoying time on the river. He knew all the Mississippi River sloughs like the back of his hand. A dedicated conservationist, he built and maintained a collection of 60+ Wood Duck houses distributed around the wetlands, protecting generations of ducks from predators and preserving their nests against the elements.

Joe is survived by his wife, Janet; children, Jacob Erickson (Samantha McConnell) of La Crosse, and Joelle Erickson (Edwin Bishop) of Milwaukee; mother, Kathleen Erickson of La Crosse; brother, Gregg (Nancy) Erickson of La Crosse; sisters, Dawn (Scott) Christianson of Orono, MN, and Kim (Wayne) Sorenson of Stevens Point, WI; brother-in-law, Mike (Mary Brickl) Belling of La Crosse; sisters-in-law, Mary Belling (Mike Lucey) of La Crosse, and Diane (Fritz) Lovensheimer of Ohio; along with many nieces and nephews, and his ever faithful Yellow Labrador, Willow.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Erickson of La Crosse; father-in-law and mother-in-law, William and Irene Belling of La Crosse; brother-in-law, John Belling of La Crosse; sister-in-law, Tracy Belling of La Crosse; and beloved nephew, Godson, and hunting partner, Brian Belling of La Crosse.

The family is extremely grateful for Mayo’s extraordinary hospice nurses that helped guide us and provided Joe with excellent care. Our sincere appreciation goes to Ellyn, whose compassion and strength carried us. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Janet’s sister Mary, Joe's friend Todd Fergot, and all our wonderful, supportive neighbors and friends for their kindness and help during this difficult time.

Please keep Joe's words in your heart and remember, “Time is of no essence when you're in the great outdoors.”

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, June 19, 2025, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1333 13th Street South, La Crosse. Father G. Richard Roberts will celebrate the Mass. Burial will be in Mormon Coulee Memorial Park Cemetery.

A visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m., until 7:00 p.m., on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at Fredrickson Funeral Home, Woodruff Chapel, 4239 Mormon Coulee Rd., La Crosse. A visitation will also be held on Thursday from 9:00 a.m., until 10:15 a.m., at the church.

If you wish to make a donation, contributions may be directed to the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association or the River Clean Up - La Crosse, in memory of Joe.

Online condolences may be offered at this site.