Marion (Mary) Jean Lauritson was 96 years young when she went to be with God on February 25, 2019. She was born in Hanover, Ontario Canada on January 25, 1923 to Franklin and Ethel Adair Prast. She was the youngest of 5 children.
Her brothers and sisters who preceded her in death were Harry, Eleanor, Lois, and Adair. After her dad died when she was two, her mom raised them on her own. When the children were old enough to begin college, she moved them to Toronto where she took in boarders, baked cakes, assembled dinners, etc.
It was during that time that Mary decided to become a nurse. While there, she studied nursing at Toronto General Hospital School for Nurses. After graduating, she moved to Hawaii for a year and later arrived in Carmel, CA where she continued her nursing career.
While she and her friends were out dancing at the Naval Academy in Monterey one evening, she met Paul Lauritson. He invited her to go on a picnic for their first date. What she didn’t know at the time was that it was a “family” picnic.
It was then that she met many of Paul’s family. When they later decided they wanted to get married, they travelled to Nevada to make it official and a party was held in their honor upon their return. They made their home in Salinas while Paul farmed the family ranch and Mary worked as a nurse for a local physician until they had their first child, Victoria (Vicki).
They then moved to the ranch. Four years later, they were blessed with their son, Ryan. During her lifetime, Mary was a room mother for her children, member of Toastmasters, PEO, Valley Guild, and volunteered at the Steinbeck House Best Cellar Gift Shop.
She was also very involved at First Presbyterian Church, where she was a long-time member. She was fond of Canadian geese, hummingbirds, and sweets. She was a devoted mother to Vicki and Ryan, a loving grandmother to Bonnie, Kodi Allen and James and a special friend to many.
She will be dearly missed. We’ll be reunited with you in heaven one day! A viewing will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at Struve & Laporte Funeral Home, 41 W. San Luis St., Salinas (www.
struveandlaportecom). Services for Mary will be on Friday, March 15, 2019 starting at 12:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church (now Compass Church) located at 830 Padre Drive in Salinas. Afterwards, she will be buried with her beloved husband Paul at Garden of Memories Memorial Park, 768 Abbott Street, Salinas.
Her family asks that any donations in her name go to Valley Guild / Steinbeck House, 132 Central Ave. , Salinas, Ca. 93901 (www.
steinbeckhouse.com) or Cottey College, 1000 West Austin Blvd. Nevada Ms, 64772.
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