Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 271910
Title: Mary K. Puffe
Date: 10/21/1934-10/4/2025
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 10/21/1934
Summary: Mary K. Puffe passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of October 4, 2025. She had struggled with lung disease and heart failure for years. More recently diagnosed with cancer, it was her wish to cease the fight, and embrace God’s plan with dignity. A memorial service was held October 24, 2025, at Evans Funeral Home in Carrington, ND. Burial was at the Carrington Cemetery. Mary Katherine Murphy was born October 21, 1934, to Terrance Clement (Tony) Murphy and Lenora Rita (Babe) Zink Murphy. She was their third child. Mary K had two older brothers whom she adored all her life, John and Daniel. She lost her mother at a very young age, and was sent to stay with her grandmother with episodic visits to various aunts. Beginning high school, she returned to live on the farm with her father and brothers. She graduated from Bordulac High School in 1953. She attended St. Catherine’s School for Nursing in St. Paul, MN, where she earned her nursing diploma. When asked why she went there, she replied, “Because that’s where the Murphy women went.” Mary married James E. (Jim) Seitz on May 25, 1956. They built a home and farm together in Bordulac, ND, very near her father’s and beloved brother’s farm. She worked as an RN in Carrington Hospital for 20 years. During this time, she had seven children, all of whom were born in Carrington Hospital. She said “All I ever wanted was to be a farm wife with a large family.” Those goals she accomplished. She and Jim divorced in 1976, and shortly thereafter she relocated to Bismarck, where she worked as an RN at Mandan Hospital, Bismarck Hospital, and Bismarck Hospice. She returned to school and obtained her BSN from Mary College. She met and married Esthel Puffe in 1986. She embraced Esthel’s three adult children: Paul Puffe of Texas, Joel Puffe of Bismarck, Cheryl Puffe of Oregon, and felt every bit a grandmother to the children from those married couples. Mary K and Esthel moved to Bemidji, MN, in 2004. After Esthel passed away in 2006, Mary K then became the first ever ‘virtual nomad’ - staying with each of her seven adult children for months at a time, bringing her sewing and her faith with her. She left a legacy of seven adult children, Lenore Seitz of Jamestown, ND, Jay (Julie) Seitz of Alpharetta, GA, Paula (Mark Netherda) Seitz-Netherda of Santa Rosa, CA, Mary (Brian) Strand of Lawton, ND, Tricia (Mark McGlynn) Seitz-McGlynn of Bozeman, MT, Thomas (Britt) Seitz of Carrington, ND, and Jennifer Seitz of Healdsburg, CA; 15 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren; along with charitable donations to ‘mission work’ and many quilts sewn with love and bestowed upon loved ones with great pride and best wishes. We will all miss her, and we know she is with us, always.
Red ID: FND_I_79404 Image ID: 539221 Image Notes: FND001 271910

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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