The friends and family of Roger Allan Guenther and Darlene Diann (Weiss) Guenther will inter their ashes at Mound Prairie Cemetery, near Goehner, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, with Dr. David W. Murphy, Colonel, USAF (ret.) officiating.
Mr. Guenther was born on May 19, 1939, in Seward, to Alex Guenther and Mildred (Price) Guenther. He died at the age of 85 on Feb. 1, 2025, in Houston, Texas. He is preceded in death by his wife, Darlene; his parents; and his sister, Marilyn (Guenther) Hughes.
Roger grew up farming with his parents near Goehner. He graduated from Seward High School in May 1956, and served in law enforcement for almost 34 years as a Nebraska Conservation Officer and a State of Alaska Protection Officer. To prepare for the Alaska assignment, he earned his private pilot license in 1970, since the job involved patrolling by air. Roger also served as a jet engine mechanic in the Nebraska Air National Guard.
Mrs. Guenther was born June 13, 1941, in Valentine, to Ernest Weiss and Olga (Widmann) Weiss. She passed away at the age of 76 on Dec. 30, 2017, in Onalaska, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Ellen Totton; and brothers, Harold and Richard Weiss.
Darlene grew up on a farm near Parmelee, South Dakota. She attended high school and college at Concordia Teachers College in Seward, graduating in January 1963. Darlene taught elementary school throughout Southern Nebraska for almost 22 years, and then spent eight years with Trinity Infant and Childcare Center, in Lincoln. In this role, she touched the lives of hundreds of young families and college students, since she also served as the lab site supervisor for the Southeast Community College and UNL Infancy classes.
Roger and Darlene were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Seward on July 28, 1963. After 34 years in their respective professions, they decided to change careers and move to a warmer climate. They initially moved to Lufkin, Texas, in 1996 and eventually obtained their Texas real estate licenses. In 2002, they moved to their home in Onalaska, Texas, where they enjoyed meeting prospective home buyers, entertaining their grandsons, and watching the wildlife that frequents the pond adjacent to their backyard.
They are survived by their daughter, Krystal (Guenther) Murphy, Colonel, USAF, (ret.) and her husband, Dr. David Murphy, Colonel, USAF (ret.) of Golden, Colorado; son, Todd Guenther of Angleton, Texas; grandsons, Seiya Murphy, Itsuki Murphy, Koki Murphy, Alex Guenther, Wyatt Guenther, and Sage Guenther; as well as numerous other friends and family members, including Roger’s sister, Sandra (Guenther) Irwin of Lincoln.
