On Thursday, November 5, 2020, Loran “Jack” Guenther, loving husband and father of five children, passed away at the age of 86. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, June 26 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 106 Osage Ave., Bismarck. A service livestream will be available on the church’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/goodshepherdbismarck/
Loran was born September 24, 1934 on a farm near Alsen, ND to Henry and Elizabeth (Pankratz) Guenther. In 1942, the family moved to a farm near Starkweather, ND and in 1952, he graduated from Starkweather High School. Loran went on to attend college at Jamestown College, where he received his B.A. degree and later in life he earned a Master’s Degree from UND.
A dedicated educator, Loran began impacting students’ lives in McClusky for several years prior to moving to Bismarck. After teaching at Bismarck High from 1964 – 1975, he was part of the first teaching staff at Century High in 1975 and taught there until he retired in 1994. His passion for teaching government, history, and encouraging students to carry out their civic responsibility made him a legend at Century where his government class become known as “Guentherment.”
A devoted husband and family man, Loran married Joanne Brekke Jensen on March 6, 1971 in Bismarck. Loran loved spending time with his children and their families and all his grandchildren loved their “Papa.”
A learned Christian man of many talents, Loran was an active member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church where he sang in choir for several years. He was also a skilled piano player and gardener, and loved playing cards (pinochle) and watching sports.
Loran is survived by his wife and five children Debbie Creek, Mike (Rose) Jensen, Russell (Taunie) Jensen, Elizabeth (Ashish) Patel, and Matthew (Afua) Guenther and 13 grandchildren: Medora Creek; Samuel, Duane, Michael, and Dakota Jensen; Samantha and Claire Jensen; Mikayla Patel; James-Matthew, Jemimah, Joanna, Jessamine, and Jedidiah Guenther. His brother, Lyle (Nancy) Guenther still resides in Eugene, OR and his sister, Lorraine (Bruce) Furness, lives in Fargo.
The family would love to hear your Loran stories. Simply search “Honoring the legacy of Loran Guenther” on Facebook and add your story.
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