Marian Emma Knutson, 87
Marian Emma Knutson, age 87 of New Hampton, died Friday, July 19, 2019, at MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center after a valiant fight against congestive heart failure.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 24, 2019, at Holy Family Parish, New Hampton, with Father Brian Dellaert officiating the Mass. The pall will be placed on the casket by five of her children, and lector for the service will be Ashley Kirchhoff. Presenting the offertory gifts will be Jenny Gebel, Melissa Knutson, Samantha Knutson andChristina Knutson. Music for the service will be provided by organist Ann Bennett and vocalists Adam Kirchhoff and Mike Winter.
Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, New Hampton, with Joel Gebel, Jay Bergeson, Mitchell Knutson, Dan Knutson, Doug Alitz and Steve McKinstry serving as pallbearers.
Friends may greet the family from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in New Hampton, with a Rosary at 3:30 p.m. and a Scripture Service at 7 p.m. Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass at the church on Wednesday.
Online condolences for Marian’s family may be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com.
Marian Emma Knutson was born April 16, 1932, at the home of her parents, John and Cecilia (Schneberger) Tieskotter, in Calmar.
She received her education at country schools before attending a Catholic school in Fort Atkinson through the eighth grade.
She then worked at cleaning houses in the Lawler area while also taking care of her parents — beginning a life that included hard work, caring and kindness to those around her.
On Nov. 5, 1953, she married Juel Knutson at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, in Lawler, and the couple would eventually welcome six children — Alice, John, Norman, Ann and twins Laura and Laurie.
After they were married, they lived on the Knutson farm southwest of Jerico for several years farming with Juel’s family, where Marian was an excellent caretaker to both Juel’s father and uncle.
Marian stayed at home raising what became a busy household until the twins headed off to kindergarten. Then Marian began working at the Town Talk Cafe, which was located where the current Casey’s General Store is and where a hamburger could be had for 75 cents and french fries cost a mere 50 cents. Juel was working at B&P Silo Company.
Her children remembered the good times they had eating where Mom cooked, but though she worked from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, Marian more times than not had cookies waiting for her children when they returned home from school.
In 1977, she left the Town Talk Café to become a cook at Health Care Manor, now New Hampton Nursing and Rehabilitation, where she loved preparing meals for nursing home residents and their visitors.
Her advice to her children was simple: Take care of your children.
And Marian was a doting grandmother, who loved having sleepovers, where singing songs like “You Are My Sunshine,” which was one of her all-time favorites. She loved attending anything and everything her grandchildren were a part of.
She had an affinity for gardening, canning, sewing, playing cards, singing and, of course, cooking.
Marian was one of those people who made every day special, but she made those special days — holidays, birthdays — extra special.
When she retired on Dec. 30, 1996, she remained active and loved spending time with her husband and family.
Juel passed away on Nov. 8, 2011, and in her later years, she really enjoyed adult coloring completing many coloring books but especially loved watching sunrises and told her family it would “be a good day when the sun was shining.”
Even when she was diagnosed with heart disease, she put up a good fight and was always there for her children and grandchildren.
In the last year of her life, she was grateful for the caregiving her daughters Alice and Laurie, son Norman and her son-in-law Tom, provided for her.
Marian will be remembered by her family for the love she gave and the sacrifices she made for them.
Those who will cherish the memories of Marian include her children, Alice (Tom) Rasing of New Hampton, John (Cindy) Knutson of Sumner, Norman (Marcia) Knutson of New Hampton, Ann (Gary) Johnson of Saude, Laura (Doug) Alitz of Mason City, and Laurie Gebel of New Hampton; her grandchildren, Melissa (Steve McKinstry) Knutson of Cedar Falls, Ashley (Adam) Kirchhoff of Austin, Minnesota, Samantha Knutson of Denver, Colorado, Christina Knutson of Salt Lake City, Utah, Mitchell (Joey Maman) Knutson of Chicago, Dan Knutson of New Hampton, Eli (Lisa) Johnson of Saude, Thadeus (Deb) Johnson of Colwell, Joel(Kimberly Meyer) Gebel of Ionia, and Jenny (Jay Bergeson) Gebel of New Hampton; and her greatgrandchildren, Kinley, Gemma and Oliver Kirchhoff, Ethan, Addison and Brinley Johnson, and Austin Kleppe.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Juel; three sisters, Elvira “Vera” Tierney, Leona Meissen and Bernadette Kruse; and three brothers, Andrew Tieskotter, Roman Tieskotter and Wilfred Tieskotter.
