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Obituary for Lois Verna Knutsen
Lois Verna Petty Knutsen was born January 1, 1925 in Andalusia, Alabama, the youngest of seven children, and passed away March 20, 2020 in Brookings, Oregon, at age 95.
She lived 70 years on Knutsen Lane in Smith River, CA, until the last three years of her life. At age 92 she gave up her driver's license and moved to assisted living at Addie Meedom House in Crescent City, CA. After breaking her hip, she relocated for several weeks to her final residence, Seaview Bright Creek in Brookings, OR.
Lois married Karl Knutsen in Collegedale, Tennessee in 1945, following his return from serving in England during WWII. They moved to Grants Pass, OR, Karl’s hometown, where Karl and his Dad built wooden fishing boats for lake resorts in Oregon.
Lois enjoyed living in the Northwest and in 1947, with their infant daughter Jeanne, she and Karl moved to Brookings, OR to begin farming Easter lilies. A second daughter, Judy, was born in 1950. Soon they located land in Smith River, CA and moved there in 1951, building a new home, establishing their lily farm and continuing Karl’s boat building business. 1955 brought their third little girl, Janice, to the family.
Lois began her education to become a teacher before her marriage so with summer schools and evening classes at Southern Oregon College, in 1959 she was hired by School District 17C in Brookings, OR and began teaching library classes at Azalea School. For 25 years every student had a class in her library. She and her good friend Marge Itzen sometimes kept score for the 7th & 8th grade boy’s basketball teams. She loved those memories of kids and staff and carried them with her, always enjoying seeing faces of her former students around Brookings.
As her own daughters were growing up, she and Karl were very active camping and water skiing (she loved driving the boat), often with groups of their friends. Later lots of camping and fishing included their grandchildren. They usually had an RV that kids could count on in cold or wet weather. Several summers Lois and Karl enjoyed living in their RV at Diamond Lake Resort, where Karl spent time repairing some of their rental boats he had made.
Lois and Karl both enjoyed traveling and after their retirement spent months at a time traveling the U.S., visiting every state except Hawaii and also cruising to Alaska. They visited friends and many of Lois’ six brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. They especially loved their friends, Noel and Robbie Billups as traveling companions.
Lois trusted the Lord and experienced His love and leading in her life as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian since early childhood. She and Karl believed and lived these values and passed them on to their family. Lois loved the messages, music and her Crescent City church family.
After 65 years of marriage, Karl passed away in 2010 and Lois’ life became even more focused on her family. She was able to enjoy visits, photos and videos especially of her great grandchildren. She was much loved by her surviving family: Daughters: Jeanne and husband Jerry McCamman of Crescent City, CA; Judy Woods of Medford, OR; Janice and husband Dwight Winslow of Smith River, CA; Grandchildren: Jeffrey McCamman, Joey and wife Michal McCamman, Kristen Winslow VanRaden and husband Robert; Karly Winslow Baker and husband Brian; Great grandchildren: Ian McCamman, Rhys McCamman, & Tobin McCamman; Levi VanRaden & Annalise VanRaden; Ellie Baker, Emma Baker & Eamon Baker.
Plans for a celebration of her life are postponed due to the Covid restrictions.
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