Dr. Paulus was a Medical Doctor who received her M.D. from the "Women's College of PA" (later became "Medical College of PA" which is currently part of Drexel University, Philadelphia.)  Following Medical School, she trained to be an Orthopedic Surgeon at University of PA Hospital and Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia.  She married Mr. Carl Paulus and had a daughter, Mary Ellen Paulus.  She was later divorced and moved her family to Carroll, Iowa where she practiced as an Orthopedic Surgeon for many years.

In 2008, after retiring, she moved to Round Hill, Virginia where she enjoyed living in a beautiful house, she had designed that was built on part of the farm which had been her home years earlier.  In 2010 her health declined and in 2022 she moved to Loudoun Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Leesburg, Virginia.  After almost two years of nursing care, she passed away there on July 4, 2024.

She is survived by her daughter, Mary Ellen Paulus and her spouse Elizabeth Rolfe; her sister, Rev. Elizabeth G. Rowan; her brother, Rev. John D. Guthrie and his spouse Pamela P. Guthrie; and her sister, Rev. Nancy G. Ditmars.

Besides her medical career, Mary-Franklin enjoyed hobbies of cooking; music; horses including owning American Saddlebred horses; raising Nubian goats; and having cats and dogs at her home in Iowa.

A Service of Remembrance will be planned for later.  In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local PBS station or to Heifer Project International.