Joe Ehrich

EHRICH, PHILLIPS, DAISY, SOOST

Posted By: Cherokee County Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/6/2019 at 10:12:22

Ehrich Dies in Mountain Accident
Durango, Colo - Joe Ehrich, 37, a Purgatory Ski Area employee and formerly of Cherokee, fell 800 feet to his death April 21 when he and his snowmobile went over Hermosa Cliffs. His body was recovered by about 25-30 search and rescue personnel involved in the operation.
Erich was the lead snowmobiler in a trio of riders who were returning from a work assignment. A newspaper account from Durango, Colo., said the sun's reflection apparently gave him an illusion that there was a snowfield ahead, plunging him over the cliff. He suffered massive head and internal injuries.
Mr. Ehrich's body was cremated.
He was born Dec 20, 1948 at Cherokee. He graduated in 1967 from Washington High School. On Dec 8, 1984, he married Sally Phillips at Durango.
Survivors include his wife of Durango; one son, Matthew Ehrich, Roswell, Ga.; three stepchildren, all Durango; his parents, Larry and Irma (Daisy) Ehrich, and a brother, Terry Ehrich, all Evening Shade, Ark., and one sister, Mrs. Howard (Kae) Soost, Norwood, Minn.