Maria “Mary” Grafenstein was born January 6, 1918, at Danube, MN to Gottlieb and Amalia (Kappas) Grafenstein. In the fall of 1919, she moved with her parents to a farm near Cavalier, ND. Mary graduated from Cavalier High School in 1936 and attended Jamestown College; having then gone on to teach in rural schools in Pembina County for several years. On April 16, 1941, she married John Guenther of Neche. They lived in Louisiana while he served in the Army at Camp Claiborne. In 1942, they returned to North Dakota and made their home on the couple’s farm in the Park Center Community of rural Neche. They moved to San Francisco, CA in 1956, where Mary was employed with Pacific Telephone. In 1967, she was chosen to serve with a task force as a system designer for Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey. After a three year tour in the East, Mary was transferred back to California where they lived in San Rafael and Novato. After her retirement in 1977, they moved to Lexington, SC and the following year back to Cavalier. John passed away on October 24, 1994. Mary was a member of the Cavalier Presbyterian Church, where she was an ordained elder and also served as Treasurer. Until 2012, she served for many years as co-manager of the Presbyterian Women’s Thrift Shop in Cavalier. Mary was a life member of the Telephone Pioneers of America and Pembina County Hospital Auxiliary. She also belonged to the American Legion Auxiliary, AAUW Book Club, and Cavalier Civitas organizations. Her volunteer service included helping at the Pembina County Memorial Hospital, Wedgwood Manor, Pembilier Nursing Center, Pioneer Rest Home, and the Cavalier City Library. Survivors include her daughter, Janis Guenther (Ed White), Fargo, ND

Also preceding her in death were her parents; son, Randolph; five sisters, three brothers, and son-in-law, Ross Quattlebaum. Mary Guenther, 95, of Cavalier, ND passed away Friday, May 31, 2013, at the Pembilier Nursing Center, Walhalla, ND. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 7, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. at the Cavalier Presbyterian Church, Cavalier, ND. Visitation will be held Thursday, June 6th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Askew Funeral Home, Cavalier, ND. Burial will be held in the Park Center Cemetery, Neche, ND. Clergy: Rev. John Werth; Music: Cleone Whelan, Organist and the Guenther Family, vocalists; Casket Bearers: Lon Flage, Dave Guenther, Kelly McLeod, Owen Okie, Karry Quattlebaum, Pete Shields, Brad Woodruff.