Marvin Erlandson

Marvin Arthur Erlandson, 73, of Wheaton, MN, passed from this life to the next on Monday, June 17, 2019 at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, ND surrounded by his family.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 22nd at 2:00 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wheaton with Rev. Cheryl Berg officiating. Organist will be LeAnn Bjornson with special music by Lynae Berger.

Visitation will be held Friday, June 21st from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. Prayer Service and Time of Sharing. Visitation will continue Saturday afternoon one hour prior to service time at the church.

Marv will be laid to rest at Maple Lake Lutheran Church Cemetery, rural Fertile, MN later this summer. Pallbearers will be Marvin’s grandchildren: Andrew Hanna, Sarah Hanna, Mari Hanna, Rachel Hanna, Joshua Fredrickson, Lindsay Fredrickson, Norah Erlandson, Tyson Nohl, Sophie Nohl and Ian Nohl. Honorary Pallbearers will be the past and present school teachers at Wheaton High School. Military Rites will be provided by the Merton Dale American Legion Post #80.

Marv was born on February 17, 1946 to Arthur and Hilda (Skanson) Erlandson, in Woodside Township, rural Fertile, MN. He was baptized and confirmed at Maple Lake Lutheran Church. He attended school in Fertile, MN and graduated from Fertile High School in 1964 as Salutatorian of his class. Marv was married to Linda Crane in December of 1966. To this union, three children were born: Lesa, Laurie and Mark.

After High School, Marv attended Moorhead State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Arts Education in 1968. Marv received his Draft notice calling him to serve in Vietnam during his first year of teaching at Wheaton High School in Wheaton, MN. After finishing the school year, he left for Army Basic Training in Fort Lewis, WA. He served his country in the Army as an E5 working as a Finance Specialist in the United States Army Central Finance and Accounting Office stationed in Long Binh Vietnam. After returning from his military service in 1971, he continued teaching at Wheaton High School as an Industrial Arts teacher where he taught for thirty-four years before retiring. He liked to brag, “And I still have all my fingers!”

Thousands of Wheaton students had “Mr. E” as their teacher for classes ranging from Metals/Welding, Woodshop, Electricity, Drafting, Small Engines, Automotive, Shop Math, Photography, and in later years, Networking and Technology. Although he often hid his softer side behind a tough facade, his heart always filled up when he bumped into former students and learned about their successful careers which had foundations in the skills that he had taught them in Shop Class. He was very proud of his students and would go toe-to-toe with anyone who tried to claim that what his students were learning in Industrial Arts was less important or less valuable than other high school subjects. Marv spent summers doing construction and built many homes, garages, and buildings that still stand in Wheaton. At a time when his position at the school was reduced to less than full time, he adapted by selling and fixing Electrolux vacuum cleaners.

In 2005 Marv was married to his loving wife Gayle. They shared many happy times together building and working on their home and yard in Wheaton. He gained two step-daughters; Kari and Kayla, from this union.

Marv’s greatest joy was spending time with his family up at his family farm, which he still owned. Although we would hear him grumble about the impending chore list, we would never see him happier than when he was there cutting down trees, tinkering with the old Ford tractor, or mowing the lawn. When all of his kids and grandkids were there with him at the same time buzzing around on dirt bikes, four-wheelers and the old 110 Honda 3-wheeler, he was in his glory.

In his retirement Dad continued to build and repair things, enjoyed deer hunting and fishing, “messing” with computers and spending time with his family; which included seven grandkids and three step-grandkids. While Dad could fix anything, build anything, and figure out anything, he never could quite grasp the concept of text messages. Whenever one of us kids would shoot him a quick text, it was inevitable that less than a minute later, our phone would ring with a call from Dad. When we tried to say, “Dad! This is not how texting works!,” He’d say, “I want to hear your voice, okay?!”

Marv was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Hilda Erlandson; grandparents Maren and Odin Erlandson and Pedar and Hendrika Skanson; and numerous beloved aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his wife Gayle Erlandson; in-laws Dennis and Sandra Groneberg; his older brother Gene Erlandson of Mentor, MN, whom he looked to as a father figure; his daughter Lesa (Erlandson) Hanna and her husband David Hanna of Hawley MN and their kids: Andrew, Sarah, Mari, and Rachel; his daughter Laurie (Erlandson) Fredrickson and boyfriend Bruce Herrick of Elk River, MN and her kids: Joshua and Lindsay; and his son Mark Erlandson and wife Cayla of Plymouth, MN and their daughter Norah. He is also survived by step-daughters Kari Kellen and friend Corinn McQueen of Wheaton; and Kayla (Kellen) Nohl and her husband Brian Nohl of Hancock and their kids: Tyson, Sophie and Ian.