Today marked the tenth anniversary of the Idaho Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park. Every year firefighters who have lost their lives are recognized and their names added to the memorial wall. Friends and families gather to remember those lost and pay their respects.
For Bonnie Erickson, November will mark five years since her husband, Brandon Erickson passed away. Brandon was apart of the Eagle Fire Department and died as a result of complications he suffered from a work-related incident. He is survived by his wife Bonnie and their son, Jack. Jack was only five years old when his father passed but when it comes to the memorial, “I like to think of it as a place where I can go and feel comfortable there because I feel like my dad is present here”.
Looking around at everyone in attendance of today's memorial it was clear to see that firefighters and their families are one big community. Upon Brandon Erickson’s passing Bonnie and her son were supported by her husband's station, “the firefighters have been amazing with our family, they check in with us all the time, ask about Jack you know some of them have taken him skiing you know standing in where his dad left off”.
Like many families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty Bonnie and Jack still, keep the memory of Brandon very much alive, “we honor his dad by honoring the things that meant a lot to him… every day we think about him for sure”.
