Obituaries 29 June 2020

Verdene May Knutson, 90

Verdene May Knutson, age 90 of New Hampton, died Friday, June 26, 2020, at the Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in Waverly.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Protivin, with the Rev. Nick Radloff celebrating the Mass. Lector for the service will be Diane Dietzenbach. Presenting the offertory gifts will be Diane Kuehn and Barb Wall. Sue Panos will be the organist with Miriam Humpal as cantor. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Friends may greet the family one hour prior to the service Wednesday at the church. If so desired memorials may be given to the Bartels Lutheran Home in Waverly or the Cedar Valley Hospice.
Arrangements are entrusted with Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory.
Verdene May Knutson was born on July 20, 1929, in rural Chickasaw County near Protivin, the daughter of Reuben and Emma (Vsetecka) Kalishek. While in grade school in Protivin, Verdene learned to play the piano and the accordion. She later performed with several local bands.
On May 25, 1953, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Protivin, Verdene married Vitalis Andera. The couple made their home in Waterloo. Vi passed away on May 1, 1976, of an apparent heart attack. 
On April 8, 1978, she married Harvey Knutson and they made their home in New Hampton all the years the couple were together. 
Verdene enjoyed gardening, embroidery, and volunteering at nursing homes and the senior center. She had a love for playing the piano and accordion. 
Harvey passed away on Nov. 24, 2016. Verdene moved to the Waverly Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in October 2018. 
Verdene is survived by her two sisters, Lorene Porter of Carlstad, Minnesota, and Carole Ann Wiltgen of Cedar Rapids; many nieces and nephews; brother-in-law, Duane and Janice Carney of Unionville, Missouri; and sisters-in-law, Pat Andera of Waterloo, and Elaine Knutson of New Hampton.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; brother and sister in law, Lydell (Jane) Kalishek; sisters and brother-in-law, Juanita and Roger Schluetter and Rudy and Delbert Winter; sister, Mary Carney; brothers-in-law, Vern Porter, Guy Wiltgen, Merlin Andera, and Wallace Knutson;  and nephew, Larry Wiltgen.

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