Erika V. Sterste, age 92, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Mar 17, 2016 at Birch Manor Nursing Center in Chicopee. She was born in Jelgava, Latvia on June 13, 1923 to the late Robert and Helena (Mokorov) Rozevskis. She and her late husband, Peter, arrived in the United States in 1950 and settled in Chicopee. Peter and Erika worked tirelessly to better the lives for their family with Peter becoming an engineer and Erika working as a seamstress for Asinof Undergarment Co. until her retirement. Erika loved to garden and had quite the green thumb. She also rescued many kitties over the years and provided them a loving home. She was a member of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church. She is survived by her two sons, Peter Sterste and his wife Cynthia of Southampton and Ed Sterste and his wife Kim of Belchertown, one sister Vera Kurbis of Latvia, one sister-in-law Margita Sterste of Chicopee, one brother-in-law Andre Sterste of PA, four grandchildren Nadine Mathews, Brent Alderman-Sterste and his wife LeAnna, Trisha Church and Nicole Sterste, and seven great grandchildren. Her family would also like to give a sincere thank you to Laurie Cyr who was a great friend to Erika. A Celebration of Erika’s Life will take place at a later date and the burial will be this Spring at the Latvian Memorial Park Cemetery in the Catskills. In memory of Erika’s love for animals, donations may be made in Erika’s name to the Belchertown Animal Rescue Committee, P.O. Box 161, Belchertown, MA 01007 (Please make checks payable to BARC).