Obituary of Alfred William Nicholas Erichsen

Alfred “Alf” Erichsen

December 5, 1942 ~ October 5, 2025

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, Alfred Erichsen, on Sunday October 5, 2025.

Alf was born in Stettler to Klaus and Martha Erichsen on Dec. 5, 1942. He was raised on the farm near Botha.  He went to school at Botha, then Camrose Lutheran College for Grade 12, graduating in 1961.  He attended the University of Alberta, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1965. It was at university that he met Jean and they were married in 1966. 

After university, Alf worked for John Deere Ltd. in Calgary, Grande Prairie and Edmonton.  He went on to work for Alberta Agriculture as the Provincial Feedlot Specialist and Supervisor of Feeder Associations.  

Alf always stayed connected to the farm, and in 1971 moved his young family back to farm at Botha.  He was the fourth generation on the farm and an early adopter of new technology and innovation. He was one of the few farmers to grow rapeseed and then canola, as well as peas and faba beans. Canola was in such infancy that the only place for him to ship it was to Canbra Foods in Lethbridge. Many criticized him for growing ‘that stinky weed’ as they didn’t think it would amount to anything. He also used minimum tillage at that time, when others were still summer fallowing.

As a member of the Canadian Seed Growers Association, he raised pedigreed rapeseed, canola, oats, peas and brome grass seed. He raised black Angus cattle at that time and sold heifers to Maine Anjou breeders who were crossbreeding to create black, polled Maines. Some went as far as High Prairie and Texas. Eventually he converted the herd to the Red Angus breed that it still is today.

In 1975, he was elected as the Founding Chairman of the Feeder Associations of Alberta, the umbrella organization of which each individual Feeder Association is a member.  He designed and administered the livestock indemnity program, which offers insurance against cattle losses. Fifty years later, this program is still used.

Alf was actively involved in agriculture industry organizations, such as the Barley Commission, Alberta and Canadian Cattle Commissions, and the Alberta Institute of Agrologists. Alberta Agriculture hired him to teach short courses on Farm Management and do financial consulting with farmers during the high interest rates of the 80’s. His daughters, all of whom worked in the agriculture industry, often met producers who remembered him from those courses.

Always the educator, he wrote articles for the farm publication, Grainews. Alf was always curious about things, leading to extensive research.  As an extremely fast and voracious reader, he also had an extraordinary ability to retain what he learned.  Alf loved to discuss and share what he knew with others. Those close to him, talk about not only how well informed he was, but how he made them think.  He always said that when you hear an opinion on something, make sure you find an opposing opinion too.  He didn’t care if people agreed with him, but he pushed them to think deeply enough to have an informed position.  He made sure to instill into his family, this ability to critically think. While he was knowledgeable about many topics, farming and history were two that he went to great lengths to help preserve and pass on.

Alf and Jean are supporters of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Stettler, just like Alf’s parents and grandparents were. They’ve also been long time supporters of the Stettler Museum and the Ag Society. Alf had built and donated to the Stetter Museum the replica 1940’s John Deere dealership building, named Erichsen Farm Equipment. Many family antiques are at the museum, including his Grandpa Drewes’s flour mill.

He passionately collected antique John Deere tractors and equipment. While his collection is green, he’s bought about 50 antique tractors of various brands at auctions. To ensure they’re preserved he found homes for many of them in museums around Alberta. Over the years he put his John Deere’s to work at local parades and tractor pulls. His collection of 1/64 scale John Deere toys represent most pieces of equipment JD has made.

Combining his love of history and community, he’s written and published a couple of books about the original settlers of this area. One focusses on the Lutheran pioneers, the other on Carl Stettler.

Alf and his family bought land near the P & H elevator to donate to the town for the ‘Homesteaders Park’. People can read about the history of the local pioneers as they walk the trail. The park combines Alf’s love of agriculture and history and his desire to contribute to his community.

Alf was passionate about his family, farming, and community. His memory will be cherished by his wife Jean, family Cathie and Kevin, Carolyn and Nathan, Christine and Lee and grandchildren Holly, Caitlyn, Liam, Evan, Amara and Mckenna.;

 cherished sister Marg (Randy) Knutson; brother David; sisters-in law Brenda Erichsen and Diane Erichsen; many nieces, nephews, and cousins, as well as Jean’s family Allan and Kathy Forbes, Bonnie Barbulak, Betty and Spence Hilton and their families.

He was predeceased by his parents Klaus and Martha Erichsen; parents-in-law Mungo and Peggy Forbes; brothers Donald and Gary; brother-in-law Bob Barbulak; nephews Raymond Knutson, James Knutson, Darryl Erichsen and Rob Barbulak.

Celebration of Life

Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 1:30 P.M.

St. Peter Lutheran Church, Stettler, AB.

Memorial Donations in Alf’s memory may be made to St. Peter Lutheran Church, Stettler, AB, the Botha Woodland Cemetery, Botha, AB, S.T.A.R.S. or a Charity of Choice