Bennie goes on a vintage snowmobile ride

Bennie Erickson of Leonard has been riding snowmobiles for most of his life. At the age of 92 he had the opportunity to ride a vintage Arctic Cat Puma that he raced many years ago. The Buzzle Lake Ventage Snowmobile Association with members from many towns including Thief River Falls had a ride and Bennie's son Shane mentioned to them that his dad  had riden the same snowmobile several years ago. They decided that on their next ride they would go to Leonard and invite Bennie to come and see. The sled was like his and he took one for a ride on the railroad tracks. He said it was really a joy to get back and ride like he used to. He opened it up as fast as he could go.

The ride will be a memory that he will always remember.

Bennie had a garage where he did engine work and he owned a Panther Arctic. In 1968 he ran his first race that started in Bagley. It went to Shelvin and north into the swamp. The bigger sleds made the going tough and they made many holes in the trail. He ran out of gas but he was lucky that he carried a quart can of gas along and he still finished in the money in the 297 class of snowmobiles.  

He sold Arctic Cat Snowmobiles for Thorsten Taylor who had his business in what was the Ford Building in Bagley. Bennie bought a 1971 Arctic Cat Panther and he raced in several races with his one cylinder Hurt Engine. He was still able to hit 75 miles per hour. Which he said  was pretty good back then. Most of the races did not have trophies instead they paid out money. When he did start winning trophies he had to leave them in Bagley for people to see as they came in to look at Arctic Cat Snowmobiles. 

Bennie was one of 8 boys and 4 girls in the family and they all had to go out working after they finished 8th grade as soon as they could. 

He liked to have horses and he broke some himself. He and some of his neighbors like Orville Erickson and Warren Halverson would race them. They did it mostly in the winter as that was when they had more time with less work to do on the farm. Bennie found a 1929 Essex 4 door sedan and he overhauled it for his use. His father, Emil, had a 1919 Baby Overland with no top. He was always interested in fixing things. 

His love of fixing things came in handy when he went in the military. He was sent to school to work on tanks and anti air craft. He was shipped to Germany after spending time in Fort Knox, Kentucky where he was in the Armored Tank Division. After that he and Aileen Swanson were married and worked in Illinois for several years before coming back to Minnesota. 

He worked in several garages including Lundmark's in Clearbrook and Allen's in Gonvick before he purchased property west of Clearbrook and made a wrecking yard and started a garage in the vacant creamery building in Clearbrook. He did that for several years selling the building to Churness and Hetland Fertilizer Company. He was busy also with his farm in Clover Township.

He and his wife Aileen live on farm where he has been a township officer for 49 years.