Bettelou "Bette" Ericksen

Bettelou Ericksen passed to her Heavenly Home on December 17, 2025, after a full life of 88 years well lived. She is reunited in Heaven with her husband, Reverend Leonard Ericksen, and her youngest son, Doug, both of whom preceded her in this passage. She is survived by her sons David (Nancy) and Don (Sara); daughter-in-law, Tasha; and grandchildren, Scott, Sarah, Jared, Ryan, Holly, Callie, Ingrid, Tucker, Leif, Danielle, Kirsti, Elsa, and Addi.

Bette was born to Bob and Hazel Macdonald in Shelton, Washington on August 19, 1937. She later moved to Port Angeles, Washington where she grew up along with her older sister Barb and her younger brother Mike. After completing high school, she ventured off to Pacific Lutheran College (now PLU) where she graduated with a degree in English Education in 1959. During her college years, Bette continued her already flourishing passion for forensic debate bringing home national championships.

While at Pacific Lutheran, Bette crossed paths with Len Ericksen who would become her life partner in ministry, family, and travel for decades to come. After brief stints in Minnesota and Montana, a combination of good fortune and God’s plan led them to Bellingham in 1967 where they teamed together to minister and shepherd a growing flock at Central Lutheran Church. She made great contributions, both in easily visible ways and, at times, behind the scenes, to the flourishing ministry at Central Lutheran. Bette also reached beyond Central Lutheran, providing leadership with a six-year term as the regional president for the American Lutheran Church Women (ALCW).

Sons David and Don were already on the team at the time of the move to Bellingham. Doug was soon added to complete the “Three D-s,” which became Bette’s greatest focus and pride. Her family was her driving purpose in the 1970s and 1980s. She was a fiercely loyal sports mom – probably before that was even a thing. She provided tireless support of academic pursuits. The collective number of uniforms washed, games attended, and papers typed was well into the thousands.

Bette was a schoolteacher before her full-worktime focus became her family and Central Lutheran Church. As the demands of full-time motherhood decreased, she was able to re-engage as a teacher. She then became the facilities manager for Whatcom County for 13 years. She found great satisfaction in the Whatcom County position. She often commented that the workforce reminded her of the blue-collar, hard-working approach to life of her father, Bob Macdonald.

After completing this later-in-life return to the workforce, Bette returned to the dual focus of working with Len in ministry roles and an unwavering focus on family. A new family focus emerged – an ever-growing crew of grandchildren became one of her greatest sources of pride and a top priority. Life had changed a bit, so this endeavor became an ongoing circuit between Washington, Montana, and California. She finished her decades long journey of ministry with Len by playing a role supervising summer staff at Glacier National Park, working for A Christian Ministries in the National Parks program. This era was also filled with her passion for travel. In addition to the grandchildren circuit, she brought Len along for the cruises she loved so much.

With eight decades of going hard accomplished, the more recent years centered around life on the farm in Ferndale. The role of grandma stayed central in her life. She greatly enjoyed leading Bible studies and socializing with old friends from Central Lutheran Church. She spent time supporting the Republican Party in Whatcom County. Her favorite days were when Mount Baker was in full display. She still made it to as many athletic, youth agriculture, and drama performance events for grandkids as possible. The pride was still strong.

Bette has passed to a place where, in the end, she knew she belonged. In the last days, she called it “going home.” She leaves behind a legacy represented by family and friends whose lives she touched in many ways.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 9, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church (119 Texas St., Bellingham) with a reception following.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to A Christian Ministry in the National Parks at https://acmnp.com/donate/online-donation/.