Russell Dale Knutson, 1919-1928

KNUTSON

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 9/24/2010 at 11:33:37

Russell Dale Knutson, only child of Grace and Ole Knutson, was born in Emmet County on Jan. 22nd, 1919. His life on earth came to a sudden close at 6 o’clock Monday morning, Jan. 2nd, 1928, a victim of diphtheria and a recurrence of a former infection. The brief span of this beautiful young life lacked just 20 days of being nine years.

Russell was in the third grade in the Maple Hill Consolidated School, showed average ability in all his school work and unusual talent in the paper cut-out work and water coloring. Sickness interrupted his attendance at school frequently.

As a farmer lad he was interested and well informed in everything pertaining to the affairs of the home farm life and business. He was a lover of pets and one of the tragedies of his boyhood life occurred just before Christmas when his pony was injured and had to be killed after repeated efforts to save its life had proved unavailing.

Russell was a member of the Bluebirds Sunday School class at Dolliver, and it was not often a program was given in which he did not take part. His numbers were always unusually well learned and rendered due to capable training by his mother. He was that fine, bright, well balanced, active boy of his age could be. His cheerfulness and good nature are expressed in his countenance even in death. It is not know how, but he seemed to know that a new experience was before him, for almost at the last minute he reached up his arms, clasping his mother around the neck and said, “I’m going, mother, and I wish you could go with me.”

The only measure of such a brief life and the grief at his passing is from the angle of the sorrowing parents and other loved ones. If human sympathy can soften the grief and lighten sorrow, then Mr. and Mrs. Knutson more than usually must feel the touch of sympathetic hearts in the loss of this boy, their only child.

“Dear ones grieve not, this little one is safe with God above.
Sorrow and suffering for him are o’er, he tests in Jesus’ love.
He’s with the angels over there, safe on the other side.
And gladly will he welcome you when comes the eventide.
He was a golden sunbeam. You’ll miss him from the home.
But think of him in that fair land where some day you will roam;
And when the hour of sunset comes and you have crossed the tide,
How gladly he will greet you then on yonder river’s side.”

On Thursday afternoon funeral services were held at the farm home, out of doors, because of the quarantine. Interment was in the Dolliver cemetery. The services were conducted by the Rev. O.P. Mueller of Dolliver. Mrs. Eckhart and Mr. Chas. Beersma sang three gospel songs, favorites of the little boy. Messrs. Stillman, Stow, John Miller and Hawley were the pall bearers.

Source: Enterprise, Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa; January 11, 1928.