Arthur B. Erekson passed away peacefully June 7, 2006 at his home in Provo, Utah, after a short illness.
He was born June 25, 1906 in Murray, Utah, to John Benbow and May Oberblander Erekson in a home built by his great-grandfather John Benbow, who was an early pioneer from Nauvoo and England.
He graduated from Murray High in 1924 where he won letters in baseball, basketball and football. In 1988 he was the recipient of Murray High’s Outstanding Alumnus award and was the first president of the Murray High Alumni Association.
Arthur graduated from the University of Utah in 1928 with a B. A. degree in Education and High Honors from the R.O.T.C. He taught in the Granite School District for 2 years, following which he returned to study at Utah State Agricultural College in Logan and was granted a B. S. degree in Dairy Science.
From there he went to Wisconsin to study the manufacture of Swiss cheese. After a summer working in Swiss cheese factories, he was granted an Assistantship at the University of Wisconsin. After earning a Master’s degree, Arthur then spent a year in Switzerland studying German and French and the Bacteriology of Swiss cheese. He isolated and identified over 80 cultures of bacteria from milk and cheese. While there in 1934, he was appointed to represent the U. S. Department of Agriculture at the World’s Dairy Congress in Rome, making the 1200 mile round trip on a bicycle.
In 1939 Arthur married Lenora Malan of Ogden, Utah, in the Salt Lake Temple. He worked for the Borden Company for 36 years, starting as a quality control director in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and retiring as Vice President in charge of Production of the Foods Division in New York City.
During his time with Borden he was granted 17 U. S. patents and 3 foreign ones. He held the office of Chairman of the National Cheese Institute’s Research Committee and was the leader of the group that helped to establish the Standards of Identity for all varieties of cheese as promulgated by the U. S. Food & Drug Administration.
Arthur gave lectures on cheese and related subjects at five universities and for seven other nationally known organizations. He had fourteen articles published in magazines and journals and held memberships in eleven societies and associations related to Dairy Science or food production.
Arthur was active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from his early days in the South Cottonwood Ward in Utah, starting with priesthood quorum activities, Sunday School and MIA, and then as a counselor in the Cottonwood Stake Sunday School presidency. In later life he served as a branch president, area president’s counselor, elders quorum president, seventy’s quorum president, bishop’s counselor, high councilor in two stakes and patriarch of three stakes, giving 393 blessings.
Lenora and Arthur traveled extensively after his retirement, making trips to their ancestral homelands in Norway and Italy. They also had wonderful trips to the Holy Land and China. They served together as full time missionaries in the Visitor’s Center in Independence, Missouri.
Lenora passed away August 6th 1999 and was buried on their 60th wedding anniversary.
He is survived by three children: Rosalie Ann (David Stone), Christine Mae (Douglas Baird), David Arthur (Michele McConkie), 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Words can hardly express the esteem, love and respect we all have for our father dear who has filled our lives with joy in every season.
Funeral services will be held at the Edgemont Ninth Ward Chapel, 4300 North Canyon Road in Provo, Saturday, June 10th at 11:00 a.m.
Viewings will be held Friday, June 9th at the Berg Mortuary at 185 East Center Street, Provo, Utah from 6 to 8 pm and Saturday, June 10th, at the Edgemont Ninth Ward Meetinghouse from 9:30 to 10:45 am preceding the funeral service.
Interment will be at the EAST LAWN MEMORIAL HILLS CEMETERY 4800 North, 650 East Provo, Utah.
Published in the Daily Herald on 6/9/2006.