Elsie (Imhoff) Ganthner, Mesa, Arizona, passed away on February 18, 2017, in a Mesa hospital, at age 94. Cremation has taken place. A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, April 29, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. (MT), at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Leipzig, North Dakota. Graveside service will follow at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, east of New Leipzig.

Elsie was born July 29, 1922, in Elgin, North Dakota. She was the daughter of Jacob and Christiana (Iszler) Imhoff. She attended rural school through eighth grade.

Elsie was united in marriage on September 22, 1946, to Arthur A. Ganthner in New Leipzig, North Dakota. They farmed north of Burt for one year, moved to Bismarck, Minneapolis, and then to Montana in 1949. There they were the owners of Ganthner's Grocery and Electric in Whitewater, Montana, for many years. Art and Elsie loved fishing together and donating their time at Special Olympics events in Bozeman and Billings. They also enjoyed traveling to many states to square dance and were active in Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs. Upon retirement, they moved to Mesa, Arizona. Art passed away on August 10, 2011.

Elsie's passion was spending hours and hours making crafts from yarn and beads, blessing her friends and family with her beautiful projects. Her neighbors said one Christmas she made a "Greetings" wall hanging for every resident at Patio Gardens Mobile Home Park and hand delivered each one to all 90 residents. One resident commented that "it was made by loving hands and a thoughtful heart." She had a wonderful way of making people feel so special and so loved.

Along with her crafts, Elsie will be remembered for her unwavering love of the Chicago Cubs. She endured the majority of their 108-year losing streak to cheer her Cubbies to a World Series victory in 2016. Elsie's family always marveled at her independence, especially in her later years. She traveled alone from Arizona up to North Dakota numerous times to visit family and entertained her great-nephews and nieces with her knowledge of current events.

She was also an expert gardener, and she watered her plants and fruit trees at a certain time every day.

She will be deeply missed by her brother, Albert (Adeline) Imhoff, Bismarck, and her sister, Lorine (Don) Okken, New Leipzig, along with numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Arthur; her brothers: Emil, twin brothers in infancy: John and Albert, Johnny, Christian, Otto, and her sisters: Lydia Reich, Emma Lillethun, and Esther Haase.

God has made some wonderful things – birds and bees and butterfly wings, springtime showers, flowers, too, and special people just like you! We will love you and miss you always, Elsie.