Stanley Wallace Erickson

Stanley (Swede) Erickson, born June 14, 1932 became one of GODS Angels on September 19, 2016. Swede grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. He went into the Air Force seven days after graduating from high school at age 18. He left the Air Force long

enough to attend Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, and while there worked with

Street gangs in southwest Dallas for the YMCA.

Swede served in England, Germany, Panama, Thailand and served two tours in Southeast

Asia during the Vietnam War. During Desert Storm, he was a Senior Protestant Chaplain and was assigned to a C5B heavy transport airlift wing and made eight flights with his

wing, carrying men and supplies to the Desert Storm area.

After 28 years, he retired as Lt. Col. as a chaplain, serving on active duty during the Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm campaigns.   He did a lot of volunteer work while in the service. Swede was chaplain for 13 years at the Brownwood State School, a top security facility with the youth. He worked 7 years as a Boy Scout Master.

Swede came to Florence as pastor of the United Methodist Church and Jarrell UMC in June 1992. He served the church for six years.

Not only did he make friends in the church, but also the entire community. During his tenure as pastor of the Methodist Church, he worked very closely with the people of Jarrell during the tragedy of the devastating tornado. Besides his duties as Pastor, he worked very closely with the schools, he video taped all the football, basketball, and volleyball games at his expense, in order that the coaches would have the tapes for teaching aids.

After he retired from the church, he built a house in Florence so that he would be “at home”.

Swede was a volunteer chaplain for the Police Dept., Fire Dept. and EMS. He was a CPR first responder Instructor for the Fire Dept. He has been a Senior Red Cross Instructor for over 30 years, both in the Military and out.

He went to New York after 911 and worked with Red Cross and also worked with Katrina in New Orleans. In 2002 Swede was Florence Citizen of the Year.

He was a true outdoorsman who loved ALL sports, especially the Dallas Cowboys.

Swede was a man with a kind soul and big heart and will truly be missed.

Visitation for Swede will be from 9-10 a.m. Thursday, September 22nd at Florence United Methodist Church, Florence, TX. A Celebration of Life will follow at 10 a.m. Burial is scheduled for Noon at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.