Virginia Bittner Eriksen

SANTEE - Mrs. Virginia Bittner Eriksen, 93, of Bradford Village, Santee, widow of Edward M. Eriksen, went to be with the Lord Friday, June 12, 2015 at the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg. There will be no services at this time. Mrs. Eriksen was born in St. Louis, Mo., the only child of the late Herman F. Bittner and Mildred Fleiter Bittner. She was a former art professor, window dresser in Chicago and New York, librarian, and retired as a nursery school teacher and owner. A charter member of Santee Presbyterian Church in Santee, Mrs. Eriksen was an avid card player, and an angel tree participant in Bradford Village. She enjoyed assisting in the library at Vance-Providence Primary School. Mrs. Eriksen and her late husband lived in Berkeley Heights, NJ from 1953 until they retired to Santee in 1987. She was preceded in death by a son, John Bittner Eriksen. Surviving are a daughter, Robin (Ken) Thomas of Holland, Mich.; daughter-in-law, Veronica Eriksen of Los Gatos, Cal.; grandchildren, Lowell Christopher (Renee) Thomas of Mechanicsburg, Pa., Keith (Sarah) Thomas, Drew Thomas, and Noel Thomas, all of Holland, Mich., and Cassandra (Matt) Plummer of Boston, Mass.; great-grandchildren, Evalyn Thomas, Niles Thomas, Samantha Plummer and Roland Thomas. The family would like to thank Mrs. Eriksen's long-time neighbors, Mary Ann and Woody Long for their love and care. Memorials may be made to Collins Home and Family Ministries, PO Box 745, Seneca, SC 29679 or Maude Schiffley SPCA, PO Box 1584, Orangeburg, SC 29116.