Charles Stanley "Chuck" Uknes 1923-1984

UKNES, TWOMBLEY, ASTOPIS

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 9/8/2013 at 14:53:23

Charles Uknes
Estherville – Services for Charles Uknes, 60, will be held Friday afternoon, 2 p.m. at the Henry and Olson Funeral Chapel with Father A.O. Grendler officiating. Interment will be in East Side Cemetery. He died Tuesday, June 5, 1984 at his home.

Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 p.m. Thursday.

He was born Oct. 30, 1923 at Sioux City, the son of Adam and Mary (Astopis) Uknes. He attended Central High School in Sioux City and was a star athlete, graduating in 1941. He attended the University of Iowa where he excelled in football. In 1943 he entered the marine corps and after serving during World War Two he returned to the University of Iowa where he graduated in 1947. On July 29, 1950 he was united in marriage with Bonnie Twombley in Des Moines. After graduating from the University he was assistant coach at Waverly High School in all sports for two years; then moved to Corning in 1949 and was head coach in all sports. In 1954 he moved to Lemars where he was head coach, all sports and in 1961 the family moved to Estherville where he was football coach until 1968 when he became athletic director, a position he has held for 15 years. He was still active as a teacher at the time of his death.

Uknes was named Siouxland Coach of the Year by the Sioux City Journal in 1968; Iowa Coach of the Year by the Des Moines Register in 1968 and Northwest Iowa Coach of the Year by the Strom Lake Chamber of Commerce for 1968, and was named to the Northwest Iowa Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame in 1969.

He is survived by his wife, Bonnie of Estherville; one son, Charles Lee and his wife of Ankeny; one grandson William Charles Uknes and one granddaughter Susan Marie Uknes; a brother, Joseph Uknes, Alexandria, Va.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and two sisters. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, June 7, 1984)

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Uknes Dies
Estherville – Funeral services were held Friday, June 8 for Charles Uknes, 60, Athletic Director at Estherville High School. He died at his home Tuesday, June 5.

Uknes moved to Estherville to become football coach in 1961, a position that he held until taking over the A.D. position in 1968.l He was still active as a teacher at the time of his death.

He was named Siouxland Coach of the Year by the Sioux City Journal in1968, Iowa Coach of the Year by the Des Moines Register in 1968, and Northwest Iowa Coach of the Year by the Storm Lake Chamber of Commerce in 1968, and was named to the Northwest Iowa Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame in 1969.

A graduate of Sioux City Central High School, Uknes went on to star in football at the University of Iowa, where he graduated in 1947 after serving time in the marine corps in World War II.

He was assistant coach in all sports at Waverly for two years, was head coach in all sports at Corning for five years, and was head coach in all sports at LeMars for seven years before moving to Estherville. (Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, IA, June 14, 1984)

Charles Uknes services held
Services for Charles Uknes, 60, Estherville, were conducted Friday at the Henry Olson Funeral Home in Estherville. Uknes died at his home June 5 of a heart attack.

He was football, basketball and track coach at Corning in the early 1950s, after an outstanding football career at the University of Iowa, Iowa City.

He is survived by his wife, Bonnie; a son, Charles of Ankeny; a brother, Joseph of Alexandria, Va.; and two grandchildren. (Adams County Free Press, Corning, IA, June 14, 1984)