LBJ Wires ‘Howdy’ For 105th Birthday Special to The Tribune GRANTSVILLE —Utah's last surviving covered wagon pi¬oneer, Mrs. Hilda Erickson, cel¬ebrated her 105th birthday Wednesday by chatting with well wishers and reading a mountain of birthday cards including one from Johnson City, Tex. Grantsville Elementary School second graders had written to President Johnson telling him of her birthday and a letter bear¬ing the presidential seal and signed by Lyndon B. Johnson said: "My sincere congratulations on your birthday. May good nealth be yours through many more happy years." More than 200 friends and re¬latives visited her home at 247 W. Mainand Mrs. Erickson of¬fered the advice, "You can do anything you put your mind to." Sitting in her favorite rocking chair, Mrs. Erickson told a pho¬tographer, "Shucks, I don't look pretty like I used to when I was 40." Still Going Strong Her 80-year-old daughter, Mrs. Amy Hicks, Salt Lake City, who flitted around the room distri¬buting Swedish pastries, said, "Hilda will still be going strong to about 12 tonight." Mrs. Hicks pointed out that Hilda never spoke in public until she was 100 years old and when she was 104 she gave a 45 minute talk in Swedish to the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City that amazed ev¬eryone. Operated Store Mrs. Erickson and her hus¬band operated a general store, "we used to make about $20 a month. People make thousands of dollars now but go on charging until they are caught in a mess. Why do they do this?" Mrs. Erickson was born in Ledga, Sweden, Nov. 11, 1859, and her family began a journey to the United States in 1866 which finally ended in Salt Lake City. The last lap from Omaha, Neb., was made by wagon and ox-team. She is the only known person surviving of the 80,000 who came to Utah before the railroad was completed.