Erlene S. Grant

Erlene Ella (Stippich) Grant passed away on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at the age of 90 in San Antonio, Texas. She was born on June 18, 1932, in Hettinger, ND, to Ezra and Ella Stippich, joining four brothers and two sisters. She graduated from Hettinger High School. While waiting tables at the City Café in Hettinger, she met a long, tall Texan named Marion (“Mert”) Grant and later married him on November 4, 1950, in Lead, South Dakota. They lived in several cities and states, and one foreign country before settling down in 1964 in what became the family home on South Flores Street on the south side of San Antonio. They’d been married 64 years when Mert passed away.

Erlene’s priorities in life were her faith in God and family connections. At church, she held several offices, taught Sunday School, did bible studies, sang in choirs and rarely missed a pot-luck at both Trinity Lutheran and Good News Lutheran. When it came time for family get-togethers for birthdays and holidays, or any other reason, Erlene was on it! Birthday cakes and birthday parties, hosting and cooking meals, decorating, Easter baskets, Halloween costumes, and Valentine’s Day cards, candy and cookies, etc. And Christmas was her highpoint. She delighted in shopping for the perfect gifts and wrapping them, ending up with quite a pile under the tree. Midnight Christmas eve services and Christmas mornings were magical for her.

After the last of her “babies” started school, Erlene became very involved in the PTA at Scheh Elementary School, ultimately serving as PTA president. She prepared tax returns for extra income for at least 20 years. At different times, she sold Avon and Stanley Home Products. She also worked for Hallmark Cards and for many years as an attendance secretary at Harlandale Middle School.

Erlene loved to bowl, play bunco and volleyball, work jigsaw and crossword puzzles, and watch game shows (she was a wiz at Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud), but one of her favorite things was music, particularly singing. It was her great honor to sing O Holy Night for Christmas Eve services at Good News Lutheran Church where she was a long-time member. She also established and lead the Youth Group at Trinity Lutheran Church, which was a contemporary choir for teens.

She is survived by her son, James Grant and his wife, Bonita; daughters, Cheryl Grant and Debra Grant; eight grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Mert; and sons, Robert and Thomas.

The family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday, March 27, 2023, at Porter Loring Mortuary.

FUNERAL SERVICEMONDAY, MARCH 27, 202312:OO PMPORTER LORING MORTUARY

Reverend Rick Hinger will officiate. Interment will take place at San Jose Burial Park following the service. Pallbearers will be Robert Grant, William Grant, Dean Cox, Joseph Lambert, Alfred Cantu, Ignacio Ramirez, Jesse Simmons and Roman Hernandez. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Good News Lutheran Church, 11020 Old Corpus Christi Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78223.