Marie Anna Knaphus (1923-2008)

KNAPHUS, GJENVICK, SEEFERT, RAINES, BOVENMYER

Posted By: Nevada Journal
Date: 9/26/2008 at 18:58:46

NEVADA JOURNAL, Nevada, Story County, Iowa, Thursday, September 25, 2008.

Marie Anna Knaphus, 85, died Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at Israel Family Hospice House, Ames, following a sudden illness.

Visitation will be from 5:00-8:00 PM Thursday at Bethany Lutheran Church, McCallsburg. The memorial service will be at 2:00 PM Friday at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Ames. Burial will be 10:00 AM Saturday at McCallsburg Cemetery.

Marie was born May 27th, 1923 in Minneapolis, MN, the daughter of Ludvig and Clara (Seefert) Gjenvick. Marie graduated from North High in Minneapolis and from Augsburg College with a BA in education. After teaching history and science in Ortonville, MN, she moved to Cedar Falls to work in campus ministry. There she met George Knaphus and they were married in 1947. In 1949 they moved to the Knaphus family farm in McCallsburg when George began graduate study at Iowa State.

After her children were all in school, Marie worked as a high school teacher and librarian at NESCO High School in Zearing. She worked as librarian at Nevada Schools from 1968 until retirement in 1986. For 46 years, Marie directed the choir at Bethany Lutheran Church in McCallsburg and also organized community choirs. She wrote a history of Bethany Lutheran church and several family history books. She was active in the American Legion Auxiliary and the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, an honorary for women educators. She served on the Bethany Manor Board of Directors and the Heartland Senior Services Board. Marie and George moved to Green Hills Retirement Community in 1998, where she lived until her death.

She is survived by one brother, Lawrence Gjenvick of New Berlin, WI; four children, Kris Knaphus (Kitty) of Cascade, MT, Debbie Raines (Tom) of Knoxville, TN, Dawn Bovenmyer (Dave) of Ames, and Dan Knaphus of McCallsburg; nine grandchildren; and five great grandchildren and two on the way.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in 2000, and one brother, Benjamin Gjenvick.

Fredregill Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

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