Obituary: Corrine Eleanor Wick

Corrine Eleanor Wick, 79, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. She was born Feb. 13, 1944, to Raymond and Eleanor (Aiken) Wick.

Corrine married Kenneth W. Erickson in March of 1960, and in their 18 years of marriage they raised six children.

Corrine came from a family of many siblings. Growing up she understood the value of having brothers and sisters to play with and learn from. There would be no surprise when she created a large family of her own.

She was artistic, creative, intelligent and well-versed and passionate with drawing, painting, clay art and sculpture, writing and photography. Corrine created a dark room at her home. That is where she created a space to develop pictures, which also served as a space of solitude — a dark room for her creative photos of family and friends, which started in the 1970s and continued through her active years. Her children became very familiar with her desire to capture memories through the lens of a Minolta camera.

Corrine’s desire to educate herself led her to the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, where she pursued arts and literature. That is where she expanded her skills in writing and received her associate of arts degree; she later continued her education at Fond du Lac Community College. Corrine loved to sing. She loved to dance. She created a world in your mind, where as a child anything could be anything. The blades of grass when you took the time to lie down in it became a forest of a faraway place. The clouds in the sky could transform into a fierce lion. Be imaginative. Be creative. See things beyond the presence. This is why Corrine read aloud every week at Fond du Lac Ojibwe School. She enjoyed transferring the same creative ideas to a new generation.

Corrine loved her time at the Black Bear Casino for her weekly breakfast, mostly laughing with her best friend and sister-in-law, Sonja, and visiting with people who became a joy for her. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was a face and voice that many became familiar with in Cloquet. To know Corrine was to love Corrine.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Eleanor (Aiken) Wick; son Darrell Erickson; grandson, Kevin Liebeck; and siblings Charles, Otis, Marlin and David. She is survived by siblings Kenneth (Eleanor) Nystrom, Gwendolyn Klosner, Ardith Kleinenberg, Milda Tode, Betty (Leonard) Anderson, and Carol Mirtica; sisters-in-law Sonja Wick and Sheri Wick; along with many nieces and nephews. Corrine will be deeply missed by her children Randolph Erickson, Russell (Tammy Bishop) Erickson, Angela Hagen, Jennifer Oeffling and Stephanie Hendricks; 11 grandchildren, Mahaila Houle, Ashley Shepherd, Jenny (Ryan) Colt, Taylor (Andrew) Wischnewski, Landen (Kelsey) Straub, Brandt (Megan Waller) Straub, Ari Straub, Turner Oeffling, Dina Oeffling, Talan Oeffling, and Jenna Hendricks; and five great-grandchildren, Shane Lavamaki, Jasmin Lavamaki, Mekaila Colt, Presley Wischnewski and Percy Straub.

Corrine’s family extends their gratitude to Amy “Superman” Antonson at Inter-Faith Care Center for her passion, humor and love while working with our mother. We extend our gratitude to St. Croix Hospice Care for their unparalleled professionalism, compassion, guidance, support and quality of life in her final days.

Visitation: 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. Celebration of Life on Friday, Dec. 29 at Atkins-Northland Funeral Home at 801 14th St. Cloquet. A luncheon will follow the service with burial at New Calvary Cemetery in Cloquet.