Sadie Erickson's life was filled with cookies, songs and love

Sadie Tonetta Erickson lived a storybook kind of life - one filled with peanut-butter cookies, star-bright smiles and a song for every occasion.

Mrs. Erickson was a lot of things to a lot of people, but to her family she was pure love.

"She left us a legacy where we all have this beautiful love for everybody in our family," said her daughter Ernarae Bisset of Bear Creek.

Mrs. Erickson died Monday (July 3) of heart failure at age 94.

Born in Volga, S.D., Mrs. Erickson came to Seattle in 1928 to marry her beau, Ernest. Together they had six daughters, held a square-dancing club in the basement and observed a household tradition to sing while washing the dishes.

Their house was a main gathering spot in the Green Lake area, where neighbors would come over to climb the trees, eat cherries and help themselves to Mrs. Erickson's famous cookie drawer.

"I don't think anyone ever came to that door without going home with cookies," Bisset said.

When her husband died in 1957, Mrs. Erickson supported the four daughters who still lived at home by catering for families in the area and later by doing food demonstrations at groceries. Getting older never slowed her down; she learned to drive at age 52.

"When she was 70, she carried my two sons from one end of Mercer Island to the other," said daughter Tonette Snyder of Mercer Island. She also remembers her mother playing softball on the beach and riding an inner tube, though well into her 60s.

At the Life Care Center in Bothell, where Mrs. Erickson spent the last 18 months of her life, she was recognized as a friendly and joyful woman.

"Sadie was a person who just loved people and mixing with people," said Life Center activities director Karl Durham. "She could always share her smile with the residents."

When Jody Wellnitz describes her grandmother - this feisty little lady who dreamed of owning a red sports car - one of the first words used is "squishy."

"She was always squishy when you hugged her," said Wellnitz, who remembers Mrs. Erickson's robust laugh and twinkling eyes. "She was just the perfect grandma."

Also surviving Mrs. Erickson are her daughters Barbara Matson of Borrego Springs, Calif., Vernice Worcester of Everett, and Dorene Bendzak and Loanne Chambers of Seattle; 18 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

A private interment will be held tomorrow morning. A celebration of Mrs. Erickson's life will be held at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow at the family home. Call 206-523-0750 for more information.

Remembrances may be made to Life Care Center of Bothell, 707 228th St. S.W., Bothell, WA 98021.