Remembering the Erichsens
President’s Note: Late last year we received word of the passing of one of our
most dedicated members, Wallace “Wally” Erichsen. Wally was preceded in death
by Ruth Job Erichsen, his wife of 78 years, who passed away in 2017. In honor of
these two long-time MVHA Members, we’re sharing an abbreviated version of
their obituaries here.
Wallace (1919–2019) and Ruth Job Erichsen (1921–2017) were proud
Mountain View natives and Mountain View High School sweethearts who
eloped the summer after Ruth graduated. A formal wedding was celebrated
with family at the chapel at Stanford University when Wallace completed his
degree there. The couple enjoyed 78 years of marriage together, raising a
family and living their entire lives in Mountain View and Los Altos.
After earning his undergraduate and master’s degree in metallurgical
engineering, Wallace was employed by Joshua Hendy Ironworks which later
became Westinghouse, in Sunnyvale. As manager of material and processes
engineering at Westinghouse, Wallace developed alloys that were designed
speciϐically for special projects as well as large government contracts. Over
the 39-year span of his career, Wallace was instrumental in manufacturing
many notable projects such as the Tullahoma Wind Tunnel, “the world’s largest
machine.” Ruth was the epitome of a homemaker, raising four children and
enjoying seven grandchildren as well as seven great-grandchildren. She was
accomplished in all handwork, sewing, knitting and especially counted cross-
stitch.
Ruth Job (MVHS Class of 1939) & Wallace
Erichsen’s (MVHS Class of 1938) Senior Portraits
Ruth & Wallace Erichsen
Wallace and Ruth were long-time members of the Mountain View Historical
Wallace (right) shows Bob Weaver (left) the MVHA
Association and familiar faces at our meetings and events for decades. Wallace plaque honoring his friend, City Historian Barbara
Kinchen at the plaque’s unveiling in 2018.
took on a variety of leadership roles in the organization over the years,
including serving as the organization’s president. In the early 1990s, he led
the Association’s efforts to preserve and restore the historic Adobe Building by spearheading the successful “Save
the Adobe” campaign. He was also a strong supporter of the MVHA’s efforts to build a museum in the early 2000s.
Most recently, Wallace donated the funds needed for the MVHA to create a plaque honoring the life of City Historian
Barbara Kinchen in 2018.
Wallace and Ruth will be missed by the MVHA, and we express our heartfelt condolences to their family and friends.
From Bankers to Odd Fellows
Our 2020 Vision Workshop will take place in the
International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Lodge at
206 Castro Street. Mountain View’s chapter of IOOF was
established in 1876, making it one of the city’s oldest
organizations. The IOOF lodge was originally built c. 1913
as Mountain View’s branch of the First National Bank. The
bank’s original Neoclassical facade resembled a Greek
temple, with four large Ionic columns that reached to a
second-story pediment. The style was popular for banks at
the time, evoking stability and permanence. The building
remained home to the bank until 1947. In the 1950s its
facade was stripped away, leaving the plain exterior we
see today. It was purchased by IOOF in 1970 and has been
the order’s lodge ever since. The MVHA thanks IOOF for
opening up their building to us for our workshop on
February 16!
5