Rolf Axel Erlandson Sr.

Rolf Axel Erlandson Sr.: March 28, 1931 – February 27, 2026

LONGVIEW- Rolf Axel Erlandson passed away peacefully in his home in Longview, Washington, on February 27, 2026, one month shy of his 95th birthday. Rolf was born on March 28, 1931, in the village of Bratten, near the city of Lycksele, in Sweden’s northern province of Västerbotten. Rolf wrote about his childhood in Sweden before and during WWII. His story is featured on the website Swedish Roots in Oregon at https://swedishrootsinoregon.org/stories/mr-rolf-erlandson-and-the-sweden-he-left/
In 1948, at 17 years of age, he immigrated to the United States with his parents and settled in St. Helens, Oregon. He very quickly became fluent in English, completed his high school education, and eventually met and married Roberta Bales on July 5, 1952. Together they raised three children and were married for thirty-six years until Roberta’s passing in 1988. Rolf remarried in 1989. He and his wife Robin Magnuson shared many interests and especially enjoyed remodeling homes in locations such as Astoria, Baker City, and Depoe Bay. They were married for thirty years until Robin’s passing in 2019.
Rolf was very proud of his service to the United States during the Korean War. He entered the service in 1952 and completed his basic training at Camp Roberts in Paso Robles CA, once the largest Army training base in the nation. After basic training, he was briefly at Fort Lewis in Washington State before he was stationed at Fort Bagg, North Carolina. He also received training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. In 1953, he received orders to serve overseas in Germany, where he specialized as a tank driver in the Hell on Wheels 2nd Armored Division. He remained at this post until his honorable discharge in 1954 at the rank of Corporal. His service rendered him eligible for expedited citizenship and in 1955 he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
After completing his service, Rolf returned to St. Helens, Oregon, where he served as a reserve police officer for two years and was employed as a millwright for the Crown Zellerbach Pulp & Paper Company for the next ten years. In 1965, he transferred to the Crown Zellerbach installation in Wauna, Oregon, where he was the first employee hired in the newly constructed mill. The family settled in the Clatskanie area and after 30 years, Rolf retired in 1995. During those years, he continued honing his technical skills and gained certification in a range of proficiencies.
Outside of his employment, Rolf was quite a Renaissance man with many talents and hobbies. Outdoors he enjoyed fishing, boating, landscaping, and gardening. Together with his son, he restored vintage cars to perfection. He was an exceptional carpenter and craftsman as well as an artisan and could always be found in his shop working on a new project. As a musician, he played the accordion, guitar, and banjo. Later in life, he built musical instruments including beautifully crafted harps and violins. With his own woodworking tools, he fashioned miniature houses and boats. His masterpiece, now a
family treasure, is a detailed replica of a Pacific Coast fishing troller. He painted with oils and acrylics throughout his life, creating scenes of mountains, oceans, forests, and lakes inspired by his life in the Pacific Northwest and his early childhood memories of Sweden. In his assisted living homes, he was known as “the artist” and together with his youngest daughter, continued painting until the last week of his life.
Rolf’s Christian faith was important to him. For many years he was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Rainier and Clatskanie where he served on the Stewardship Committee. Later in life, he and his second wife joined the Catholic Church in Baker City. Reading and discussing the Bible were among his favorite pastimes.
Rolf is survived by his children, Rhonda, Rolf Jr., and Robin Sill Martin (Jim). He is also survived by his grandchildren Meghan (Randy) Kerr, Michael (Carrie) Erlandson, and Mandy Sue Sill (Robert Wirthlin) and four great grandchildren: Trevor, Cheyanne, and Owen Erlandson and McKayla Wirthlin. He is preceded in death by his first and second wives, Roberta Bales and Robin Magnuson, his parents Axel and Betty Erlandson, his aunt Ruth Ellison, his cousin Ben Erlandson, numerous family members in Sweden, and many life-long friends and beloved pets.
A graveside service will take place at Bethany Memorial Cemetery in Warren, Oregon, on July 11, 2026, at 1:00 PM. The United States Army Honor Guard will render final honors in gratitude for Rolf’s service and present the flag to his family.