Mary Caroline Porter Dufur was born on January 18, 1932, at Lebanon Colorado to Thomas and Elizabeth Porter and attended school at the Lebanon school house. Then the family moved to Dolores so she could go to high school, and she graduated in 1949.

She then attended 2 years of college at Western State in Gunnison. She married Jess Dufur in 1952 and suspended her education to raise a family. To this marriage were born four children, John David Dufur, Sharon Lynn Dufur, Karen Elizabeth Dufur, and Jess Daniel Dufur.

She resumed her education during Summers at Western State College in about 1970 and earned her bachelors in archaeology, Art and Education in 1972. She taught art at all elementary schools in Cortez, was a girl scout troop leader, was an accomplished artist, potter, painter, and cake decorator. She was the Librarian in Dolores for many years. She rode her bicycle around Dolores when it was almost unheard of.

She sold Avon and operated the Linotype machine for the Dolores Star paper for many years and had a sign painting business, painting many signs in the area, some still in use. You could always identify her style.

She finished construction on a home her oldest son had started including electrical, plumbing, carpentry, doing almost everything by herself except the sheet rock and flagstone floor.

In 1995, her and her partner, Larry Pleasant went on an adventure moving to Libby, Montana and then Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and moving back to Dolores 2015. She leaves behind a son Jess, a daughter, Sharon, many grandchildren and great grandchildren, and many friends. Preceding her in death were two of her children, John and Karrie Beth and her friend and partner Larry Pleasant. 

She was kind, generous, fiercely independent, and will be missed by many friends and family.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at Lebanon Cemetery.