March 9, 1968 - June 25, 2025
Iwillsingof emerciesof eL df ever.Wi my mou Iwillmakeyourfai fulnessknown roughallg erations. Psalm89:1
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Tucson, Arizona
July 12, 2025
Teri was a vital part of the music ministry at Grace for many years. The accompaniment team (on which she faithfully served) honors her memory by playing these pieces before the service begins. These pieces were carefully selected from some of Teri’s favorite composers and many of them are pieces she enjoyed playing for worship.
by Day ...................................................................................................................................
Hymn 803: Day by day, your mercies, Lord, attend me, bringing comfort to my anxious soul. Day by day, the blessings, Lord, you send me draw me nearer to my heavenly goal. Love divine, beyond all mortal measure, brings to naught the burdens of my quest; Savior, lead me to the home I treasure, where at last I’ll find eternal rest.
Take My Life and Let It Be..............................................................................................................
Hymn 696: Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my King… take my heart it is thine own, it shall be thy royal throne.
Sandra Eithun
Amazing Grace......................................................................................................................................
Dale Witte
Hymn 576: Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come;‘tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.
I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb................................................................................................................
Phillip Magness
Teri requested that this piece be played at her memorial service.
Hymn 804: Who so happy as I am, even now the Shepherd’s lamb? And when my short life is ended, by his angel host attended, he shall fold me to his breast, there within his arms to rest.
Go, My Children, with My Blessing.............................................................................................
Kenneth Kosche
Hymn 930: Go, my children, with my blessing, never alone. Waking, sleeping, I am with you; you are my own. In my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever. Go, my children, with my blessing, you are my own.
Children of the Heavenly Father ...........................................................................................................
Lorie Line
Hymn 502: Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord his children sever; unto them his grace he showeth, and their sorrows all he knoweth. Though he giveth or he taketh, God his children ne’er forsaketh; his the loving purpose solely to preserve them pure and holy.
Jesus Loves Me ............................................................................................................................
Victor Labenske
Hymn 584: Jesus loves me! He who died heaven’s gates to open wide. He will wash away my sin, let his little child come in. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled .............................................................David Haas, Kermit Moldenhauer
Hymn 809: Do not let your hearts be troubled; have faith in God and faith in me. I will go forth to prepare a place for you; then I’ll come back to take you with me, that where I am, you may also be. In God’s house there are many places for you to dwell in peace and safety. You know the way to where I’ll lead you; if you are lost, I will show the way.
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Hymn 441: He lives to silence all my fears; he lives to wipe away my tears; he lives to calm my troubled heart; he lives all blessings to impart. He lives and grants me daily breath; he lives, and I shall conquer death; he lives my mansion to prepare; he lives to bring me safely there.
Still, My Soul, Be Still with Be Still, My Soul...................................................................................
James Koerts
Hymns 834 & 847: Still, my soul, be still and do not fear though winds of change may rage tomorrow. God is at your side; no longer dread the fires of unexpected sorrow. God, you are my God, and I will trust in you and not be shaken. Lord of peace, renew a steadfast spirit within me to rest in you alone...Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on when we shall be forever with the Lord, when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
On Eagle’s Wings ................................................................................................................... Anne Krentz Organ
Teri requested that this piece be played at her memorial service. This arrangement is one she often played for funerals.
Hymn 821: You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in his shadow for life, say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!” And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of his hand.
Abide with Me ................................................................................................................................
Hymn 783: Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
Hymn 522: Beautiful Savior, King of creation, Son of God and Son of Man! Truly I’d love thee, truly I’d serve thee, light of my soul, my joy, my crown. Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, robed in flowers of blooming spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, he makes our sorrowing spirit sing.
Teri faithfully played for worship on June 8 prior to being admitted to the hospital. This was the final piece she played. Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart, wean it from sin, through all its pulses move. Stoop to my weakness, mighty as you are, and make me love you as I ought to love O Heart of Christ, once broken for us, 'tis there we find our strength and rest; our broken, contrite hearts now solace, and let your waiting church be blest.
The order for our service today is based on the Christian Funeral service in the blue Christian Worship hymnal (pages 274-277). Please join in speaking the congregational parts and singing the hymns as indicated.
Minister: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
In Holy Baptism, Teri was clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covered all her sin. St. Paul affirms, “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
The apostle also writes, “All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed!
We have come together to seek God’s comfort in our sorrow and to rejoice in the promise of the resurrection. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ who said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Death has been swallowed up in victory! Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
When Christ, who is our life, appears, then we also will appear with him in glory.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, you wept at the grave of your friend Lazarus, and you consoled Mary and Martha in their distress. Draw near to us who mourn the loss of Teri, and dry the tears of all who weep. Calm our troubled hearts; dispel our doubts and fears. We thank you for bringing Teri to faith and giving her the gift of eternal life. Strengthen us with your Word and sacraments, and keep us in the saving faith until we are united with you and all the saints where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
All of the hymns used in the service today were selected by Teri when she completed her funeral planning guide several months ago.
This choir is made up of singers who previously sang with Teri in a choir or sang under her direction. His robes for mine: O wonderful exchange!
Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered ’neath God’s rage. Draped in his righteousness, I’m justified.
In Christ I live, for in my place he died. I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost: Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own.
My praise my all shall be for Christ alone.
His robes for mine: what cause have I for dread? God’s daunting law Christ mastered in my stead. Faultless I stand with righteous works not mine, saved by my Lord’s vicarious death and life.
His robes for mine: God’s justice is appeased. Jesus is crushed, and thus the Father’s pleased. Christ drank God’s wrath on sin, then cried, “’Tis done!”
Sin’s wage is paid, propitiation won.
I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost: Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own. My praise my all shall be for Christ alone.
His robes for mine: such anguish none can know. Christ, God’s beloved, condemned as though his foe. He, as though I, accursed and left alone; I, as though he, embraced and welcomed home! I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost: Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own.
My praise my all shall be for Christ alone.
My praise my all shall be for Christ alone.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who can always be found in times of trouble.
2 That is why we will not fear when the earth dissolves and when the mountains tumble into the heart of the sea.
3 Its waters roar and foam. The mountains quake when it rises.
4 There is a river its streams bring joy to the city of God, to the holy dwelling of the Most High.
5 God is in her. She will not fall. God will help her at daybreak.
6 Nations are in turmoil. Kingdoms fall. God raises his voice. The earth melts.
7 The L of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is a fortress for us.
8 Come, look at the works of the L . What a wasteland he has made of the earth!
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He shatters the bow. He cuts up the spear. He burns the carts with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted on the earth.”
11 The L of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is a fortress for us.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
1Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was the same Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair.
3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one you love is sick!”
4When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not going to result in death, but it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed in the place where he was two more days.
7Then afterwards he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
17When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.
20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary was sitting in the house.
21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”
23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day.”
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. 26And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish. Do you believe this?”
27“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
32When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled.
34He asked, “Where have you laid him?”
They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38Jesus was deeply moved again as he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39“Take away the stone,” he said.
Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, because it has been four days.”
40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41So they took away the stone.
Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44The man who had died came out with his feet and his hands bound with strips of linen and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus told them, “Loose him and let him go.”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
The choir will sing stanza 1. Please join in singing stanzas 2 and 3.
I will sing of the mercies of the L forever. With my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Music, admin. CapitolCMGPublishing,com. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199.
Lord God, heavenly Father, you are always with us, especially when our hearts are heavy with grief. Send us your Spirit so that even as we grieve we are filled with hope. You have convinced us that your Son Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that our loved ones who have fallen asleep in Christ are resting in peace with you. Let nothing shake our confidence in your promise that we will be united with you and them in glory forever. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
What great mercy you have shown us, Father in heaven! Through your Son’s resurrection, our hope is alive and our inheritance is certain. The bliss and security we will enjoy in your presence are blessings that will never perish, spoil, or fade. Shield us with your power and give us faith to trust in you in every trial until we inherit the glorious riches you are keeping for us in heaven. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, we see your abiding love in the kindness shown to us by family and friends. As we receive comfort and encouragement from others, we are experiencing your care. Help us bear all our burdens patiently. Be the strength of your people, now and in difficult days to come. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, support us all day long, till the shadows lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then, in your mercy, grant us a safe lodging and a holy rest and peace at the last; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
Amen.
After the memorial service, the family will proceed to the Grace columbarium for a brief committal service and inurnment. All are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall across the courtyard and may head there directly and begin eating after being ushered out of the church building.
If you have not yet had the opportunity, please stop by the table in the courtyard to add your fingerprint to the art print recognizing the many lives Teri impacted during her time on earth.
For those wishing to give a gift in memory of Teri, a memorial in her name has been established here at Grace in support of the music program, in which she played such an instrumental part.
Grace Lutheran Church
830 N. 1st Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719
TODAY
Worship Leader ............................................................................................................ Pastor Ron Koehler
Preacher Pastor Nathan Kassulke
Choir Director........................................................................................................................ Paul Kassulke
Accompanists
Laura Heiman, Jim Bakken, Deb Bakken, Jane Neujahr
Naomi Kassulke, Kathy Parra, Beth Kassulke
Ushers.......................................................................................Paul Kassulke, Justin Harris, Vic Thornton
Sound and Recording Techs..................................................................... Jeremy Snavely, Sam Kassulke
Acknowledgements:
He Leadeth Me........................................................................................................................
Marilyn Thompson
He leadeth me: O blessed thought! O words with heavenly comfort fraught! Whate'er I do, where'er I be, still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me. He leadeth me, he leadeth me; by his own hand he leadeth me: his faithful follower I would be, for by his hand he leadeth me. And when my task on earth is done, when, by thy grace, the victory's won, e'en death's cold wave I will not flee, since God through Jordan leadeth me.
Friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them, and a friend will not say never ‘cause the welcome will not end; though it’s hard to let you go, in the Father’s hands we know, that a lifetime’s not too long to live as friends.
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Deb Bakken, Jeremy Bakken
Hymn 890: They stand, those halls of Zion, all jubilant with song and bright with many an angel and all the martyr throng. The Prince is ever in them, the daylight is serene; the pastures of the blessed are ever rich and green. There is the throne of David, and there, from care released, the shout of them that triumph, the song of them that feast. And they who with their leader have conquered in the fight forever and forever are clad in robes of white.
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O beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!
Valerie A. Floeter
Hymn 602: Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be. Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hast provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me! Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
The cover photo was taken by Teri this past spring of one of her favorite views.
1968 - 2025
Brenda Terese Guenther was born to Ferdie and Diane Kramm on March 9, 1968, in Tucson, Arizona. She was baptized on February 14, 1971, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church here in Tucson where she was also confirmed on June 4, 1982. Teri became a member of Grace when she transferred from Good Shepherd.
On September 10, 1994, Teri married Bryan Guenther here at Grace Lutheran Church. The Lord blessed Bryan and Teri with two children, Dylan and Lucas, and over 30 years of continuous blessings on their life together.
Teri attended Catalina High School and Pima Community College. In addition to her time as a stay-at-home mom, she worked a number of jobs while also serving as a church musician. For the last several years, Teri was the owner-operator of a vacation rental property.
Teri’s faith in Christ and love for her Savior was shown in her regular participation in worship and studying God’s Word in Bible classes, along with her service to the Lord and her church family. She used her exceptional musical skills by serving as a vocalist, accompanist, and director. Several choirs benefited from her gifts: Worship Choir, Treble Choir, Men’s Choir, Voices of Grace, Sahuarita Choir, Area Reformation Service Choirs, and Reach the World. Teri participated in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society, the Lutheran Pioneer youth program, and in countless other ways over the years. She also shared God’s love in Christ with friends, coworkers, and others.
Teri’s faith in her Savior was rewarded when she was unexpectedly called home to heaven on June 25, 2025. She leaves to mourn her passing and look forward to a joyful reunion in heaven her husband, Bryan; sons, Dylan (Taylor) and Lucas; her father and mother, Ferdie and Diane Kramm; sister, Dana (Steve) Veers; brother, James (Wendy) Kramm; nieces and nephews; extended family; and many, many friends.
The Lord gave Teri a time of grace on this earth of 57 years, 3 months, and 17 days.
Teach us to number our days in such a way that we bring a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12