Mary C Erlandson

Mary Casilda Erlandson passed away peacefully on February 21, 2025, at age 101. She was born December 22, 1923, in Los Angeles, California to George and Casilda (Kramer) Krug. Mary’s hardy constitution was put to the test from the beginning, when she was born 2-1/2 months premature and weighed only 3 pounds. Within a year, she also suffered a dangerous bout of pneumonia.

Mary’s father, who had owned a successful bakery in Dayton, Ohio, before moving to Los Angeles, died when she was 12. Her stepfather, Leo Stengel, married Casilda and provided for Mary and her older brother, Joseph Krug. Mary attended Immaculate Heart High School and studied at Mount St. Mary’s College. During World War II she worked as a draftswoman. She was also a dance instructor at the Arthur
Murray Studio and volunteered with other young ladies to go to social dances with soldiers.

This group of women was known as the Desert Battalion. After the war, she joined a Catholic lay women’s movement called The Grail, based in Loveland, Ohio. Returning to Los Angeles, she was set up on a blind date with a college professor of English literature at Loyola University named Theodore Erlandson. Both agreed it was an unsuccessful first outing! Cupid prevailed, however, and within six months they were engaged.

They were married for 43 years. Mary was the mother of eight children, grandmother to 14 and great grandmother to eight. For several years she also cared for her invalid mother-in-law. Hers was a house that was always open to friends of her children who were drawn to her by her warmth, her generosity and her
well-stocked refrigerator.

Later in life, Mary traveled for the first time out of the United States, visiting Italy, France and Ecuador as well as living in Greece for several months. She also picked up golf in her 50s, though dancing was her favorite activity. She enjoyed teaching her children how to do the Swing and Foxtrot in her family room.

Mary also volunteered for 25 years until the age 92 at St. Margaret’s Center in Lennox. Mary’s husband Ted died in 1995. Her brother Joseph, who was a Trappist monk at Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina, died in 2011. Her second son, Tony, died in 1957. A grandson, Alexjandro Olachia, died in 1980. She is survived by sons Greg (Corine) Erlandson, Patrick (Machiko) Erlandson, Eric Erlandson and Paul (Kelly Hamilton) Erlandson as well as daughters Mary Agnes (Ross) Cerny, Karen (Chris) Seemann and Martha Erlandson. Her grandchildren are Patty (Scott) Kuhn, Becky Phillips, Joey Matthews, Alexandro (Tiffany) Ramirez, Maya Erlandson, Arthur Erlandson, Bela Erlandson, Anthony (Amanda) Erlandson, Andrew (Eunice) Erlandson, Amelia Erlandson, Maria Erlandson, Soonka Erlandson and Aika (Derek) Marchant. Her great-
grandchildren are Reagan Kuhn, Nathan Kuhn, Theo Erlandson, Caroline Erlandson, Peter Erlandson, Liam Phillips, Sawyer Phillips and Jun Marchant.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 25511 Eshelman Avenue, Lomita, CA 90717 on Monday, March 24, 2025. Rosary at 9:30a.m. Mass at 10:00a.m. If possible, kindly RSVP to a family member.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to:
St. Margaret’s Center https://www.stmargcenter.org
Father-Con https://www.father-con.org/
Rivendell Sanctuary www.rivendellsanctuary.org