Erika Frieda Deason went to be with her Lord and Savior on August 5, 2022 at the age of 78. She was born in Burtenbach, Germany on July 24, 1944 to Matthaus and Frieda Beck. She is survived by her son Layton Deason, daughters A'ndrea Zivney and husband Chris, and Celia Deason; 3 grandchildren: Randy Lee, Delaney Lee, and Lauren Lee, 2 older brothers, Hans Beck and Gunther Beck, older twin sisters Hannelore and Lieselotte, and a younger sister, Gerlinde, as well as several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her mother and father. 

Erika told of an uncle that would visit when she was a young girl, and of how she was always interested in whatever he was doing, and since she showed such interest, he made up a little saying or jingle for her as she tagged along, about how "Erika goes to America", which she did, in 1965 at age 21. She met an Army soldier and came to America to marry and raise a family. She was raised in the Lutheran church but when her children were young and began attending church with neighbors, she began to attend also, where she accepted the Lord as her personal savior and became a Christian. She worked many jobs in her lifetime, and no matter what the job, she worked harder than was expected, took great pride in her work, and tried to instill that pride in everyone she met. She was a great role model, a talented seamstress, and gardener and loved to sing and study her Bible. She was frugal in her ways of living and honest in her relationships. She never met a stranger. Her motives were pure and she loved big. She could point out you'd put on weight since she last saw you, or that  your new haircut wasn’t flattering, and then hug you so hard you didn't know if you should be offended, and she wouldn't understand if you were. She was strong in her faith in Christ and told everyone she knew..."Keep looking up, one day at a time, and be ready" and in recent times, she would add "and I'm ready". 

A memorial and life celebration will be held on Saturday, Sept 17, 2022 at 2 pm at Rocky Springs Baptist Church in Dialville, Tx. Please bring your favorite memory of her to share. 

In lieu of flowers, love your family, value friendships, read a good book, grow a garden, find joy in the little things, most of all, know Jesus.