Elsie Emilie Knutson, age 96, formerly of rural Mankato, died Monday, February 26, 2007 at Grandview Good Samaritan Center in St. Peter.
Funeral service will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 3, 2007 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Rapidan with Rev. Crista Strum officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Lutheran Cemetery in Rapidan. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Mankato Mortuary is handling arrangements. Memorials are preferred to Calvary Lutheran Cemetery Lawn Care Fund.
Elsie was born June 2, 1910 in Good Thunder to Gustav and Lena (Reedstrom) Stavenau. She attended Rapidan School. On June 11, 1929, she married Lester Knutson in Lake Crystal. They made their home in rural Rapidan. Elsie was a homemaker for her family and worked outside the home assembling radio transmitters in Rapidan, helping her sister-in-law with house cleaning in Mankato, and worked in food processing at Tony Downs in Madelia. Elsie was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church and the Ladies Aid. She enjoyed cooking, embroidery, crocheting, and gardening, especially flowers.
Survivors include a son, Marlin Knutson and his wife, Lorraine of St. Peter; seven grandchildren, Scott (Barbara) Knutson of Minneota, Kelly (Michael) Schutz of Lafayette, IN, Linda (Jeffrey) Anderson of Rochester, Brenda Knutson of Shakopee, Carol (Dan) Wheeler of Pemberton, Joan (Todd) Golle of Savage, Brian Knutson of Blue Earth; nine great-grandchildren, Jennifer, Sarah, and Melissa Anderson, Matthew, Rachel and Laura Knutson, Katie and Jeremy Wheeler, Alexa Golle; nieces, nephews, and friends.
Elsie was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lester in 1995; two brothers; one sister; and a grandson, Danny Ray Knutson