Memorial Service for Patricia Lou Erickson will be Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. at Eagle Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church, Eagle Grove, Iowa.

Patricia Lou Erickson, 63, passed away Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Patricia Lou Erickson was born on September 13, 1961, in Fort Dodge, Iowa to John and Darlene (Anderson) Erickson and lived on a farm in rural Badger, Iowa. The family moved to Sioux City and Patty attended St. Paul's Lutheran School, North Junior High School, South Sioux City Junior High School and graduated from South Sioux City High School in 1979. After high school, Patty enlisted in the Army and became a paratrooper. She married Jeffrey Bannister and briefly left the Army to attend Campbell University where she graduated in 1986 with a Batchelor of Science degree.

Patty then returned to the Army where she served until 1990. In 1991 she joined her husband in Korea and taught English until they returned to the United States and later divorced. Subsequently, Patty worked for IBM Corporation and then for CSX Transportation beginning in 1998. She worked as a conductor with CSX where she was responsible for operating a one-man remote-controlled engine safely, switched inbound trains and built outbound trains to meet railroad and public safety specifications. In her own words she "did the work of an engineer, foreman, brakeman and switchman; all reduced to a one-person crew". Her co-worker from CSX, Billy Collins, began a life-long friendship that lasted until she entered the nursing facility in Lawton, Oklahoma. He helped Patty many times over the years when she needed a helping hand.

Patty loved animals, cooking, needlework and crafts, and reading. She was convinced of her everlasting heavenly reward and tried to live her life as a Christian. She gave generously of her time and money to many causes including the SPCA and the Humane Society.

Patty is survived by her mother, Darlene Campbell of South Sioux City, Nebraska, her brothers, John (Aoy) Erickson of Omaha, Nebraska and Daniel (Cheryl) Erickson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and her sisters, Deborah (Gary) Simmons of Lawton, Oklahoma and Elizabeth (Wilson) Shearin of Grandy, North Carolina, as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, her father, John Erickson, her nephew, Jared Erickson, her stepfather, Bill Campbell and by many aunts, uncles and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the SPCA, the Humane Society, or Hospice organizations Compassus in Savannah, Georgia and Complete OK in Lawton, Oklahoma.

An online guest book and sympathy cards are available at www.beckerfuneral.com