Mary Ann Evenson PhD

Mary Ann Graven was born to Gerald and Annabelle (Weisser) Graven on August 31, 1951, at Trinity Hospital in Jamestown, ND. She lived on the family farm near Spiritwood, ND, where she attended grade school. Mary graduated from Jamestown High School in 1969, and then Valley City State College, where she graduated in 1973 with a BS teaching degree and a double major in Mathematics and Chemistry, and a minor in Physics. Mary furthered her education at North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, where she earned her PhD in Cereal Chemistry in 1977.

Mary was married to Larry Evenson February 26, 1977, at St. Paul's Newman Center, Fargo. They moved to Riverside, CA, where Mary substitute taught until they moved to Gillette, WY. In 1979, Mary accepted a position as Director of Research at Kroger Foods in Cincinnati, OH. In 1984, they moved back to Jamestown at which time Mary accepted the position of Director of Quality Control/Research and Development at Dakota Bake-N-Serve. In 1986, they moved to Eugene, OR, to work for Chef Francisco as Senior Product Development Technologist. In 1990, she accepted a position as Research Scientist with Sara Lee Bakery in Chicago, IL. In 2000, they moved to St. Cloud, MN, where Mary was a Chemistry Professor at St. Cloud State University until 2009. In 2014, they moved to back to Fargo.

Mary's faith and her family were her top priority. Her world revolved around Larry, Marie and Greg. She enjoyed cooking for them as well as taking the kids to their various activities. She was their strongest advocate. She was always very interested in Larry's military career and travelled with him whenever possible.

Her various jobs in the food industry afforded her the opportunity for travel to Europe and Canada where she toured bakeries and breweries as well as the local points of interest. Her hobbies included reading, watching television and movies, especially westerns.

Mary belonged to professional organizations including the Institute of Food Science and Technology and the American Association of Cereal Chemists. Mary's strong interest in research extended to her involvement in a research program on dementia at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, which is still ongoing.

Mary's family would like to thank all the caregivers for the care she received while at St. Gerard's Community Center, Hankinson, ND, and Rosewood on Broadway, Fargo.


Mary passed away on Sunday, January 21, 2018, at Rosewood on Broadway, Fargo, at sixty-six years of age.

Mary is survived by her husband of forty-one years, Larry, Fargo; daughter, Marie (Lowell) Marteney, and grandson Max, of Longmont, CO; son, Greg (Amber) Evenson, of Offutt Air Force Base, NE; brothers, Jim (Annette) Graven of Minot, ND, John Graven of North Fort Myers Beach, FL, Pat (Barb) Graven of Pittsburgh, PA; sisters, Ann (Craig) Hougen of Bemidji, MN, and Teresa (Mike) Kropp of Kalispell, MT; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and a brother, Martin Graven.

Memorials may be sent to St. Gerard's, Hankinson, St. Paul's Newman Center, Fargo, ND, and Rosewood on Broadway, Fargo.

Visitation for Mary will be Friday, February 2, 2018, from 5 - 7 PM, with a wake service at 6:30 PM, in Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead.

Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, February 3, 2018, at 11 AM, in St. Paul's Newman Center (NDSU), Fargo.