MEET PARISHIONERS Louie and Dorothy Guenther: Sharing a Joyful Life of Faith, Prayer and Service

According to the 2010 census, about six percent of marriages make it past the 50-year mark. A 71-yearmarriage likely isn’t even measured — there are so few of them. But St. John parishioners Louie and Dorothy Guenther have beaten the odds, and are looking forward to celebrating 72 years of marriage on Aug. 9.

“One day before Dorothy’s birthday!” Louie says.

Aug. 9, 1950, was a hot day at St. John’s Catholic Church. The couple was married on a Wednesday because the priest at the time believed marriages should be on Wednesdays. The 9 a.m. ceremony was followed by dinner at Dorothy’s parents’ house and a dance in a hall above a local tavern.

“The secret is to give and take and share,” Dorothy says. “Don’t ever go to bed mad.”

“We had our problems, too,” Louie says. “But we stuck together.”

Louie and Dorothy enjoy gardening and being in the yard. They had a huge garden and did a lot of canning. After retirement, the couple attended daily Mass until Dorothy had a stroke a few years back, leaving her unable to drive. They pray a lot of rosaries and novenas.

The Catholic faith has always been an integral part of Louie and Dorothy’s life. Dorothy was a longtime member of the Altar Society and Christian Mothers. Louie was part of the Holy Name Society before it disbanded.

Dorothy and Louie could never have children, but they consider their goddaughter, Donna Smith, to be family. They befriended Donna’s parents when they moved to Pelican Lake. Donna attended church with the couple, went to Stations of the Cross, and sang in the choir. Donna was baptized into the Catholic Church when she was 12.

“Their love for one another and others has been an inspiration for me,” Donna says. “Their love for each other, their love for me, and their love for my family were so evident. We were not brought together by blood or family. We were brought together by God.”

Louie spent his career in construction, and Dorothy was a teacher. The couple spent many years living in Green Bay and also Pelican Lake.

Louie and Dorothy Guenther