KNAACK, Ralph 1916-2013

KNAACK, STEWART, RICKERT

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 3/19/2015 at 14:26:22

Ralph "Pat" Knaack, 96, of Reinbeck, Iowa, died Tuesday, April 9, 2013, at the Grundy County Memorial Hospital Long Term Care Unit in Grundy Center, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Friday, April 12, 2013, at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Reinbeck, Iowa, with Rev. Joel Love officiating. Burial will follow at the Reinbeck Cemetery in Reinbeck. Visitation will be Thursday, April 11, 2013, from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at French Hand Funeral Home in Reinbeck. Memorials may be made to the family.

Ralph Bernard was born the son of Otto and Amy (Stewart) Knaack on August 24, 1916, in rural Reinbeck, Iowa. He was raised in the Reinbeck area on the family farm. He attended schools in Reinbeck and graduated from Reinbeck High School in 1934.

On January 7, 1940, Ralph was united in marriage to Mildred Viola Rickert at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Reinbeck, Iowa.

Ralph farmed his whole life in the Reinbeck area where he milked cows, raised cattle and pigs, retiring in 1974, but continued to help on the family farm. He was a member of Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Reinbeck, where he was active on many church boards. He also was an active member in the Reinbeck Lions Club. Ralph enjoyed farming, fishing trips to Minnesota, playing cards, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers; Bill and Virgil Knaack.

Ralph is survived by his wife Mildred of Grundy Center; children, Vern Knaack and his wife Julie of Reinbeck and Marian Meester and her husband Jim of Grundy Center; 6 grandchildren; Andrea (Doug) Rowe, Polly (Marc) Murphy, Patrick (Lori) Knaack, Mike (Anne) Meester, Jill (Al) Guetzlaff and Jenny (Keith) Ott and 12 great-grandchildren.

--Abels Funeral Homes (www.abelsfuneralhomes.com)