Raymond Joseph Knutson 1929 - 2009

KNUTSON, MOSS, ANDERSON, BENDUZEK

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/1/2013 at 10:24:00

Sioux City Journal
23 November 2009

SIOUX CITY -- Raymond Joseph Knutson, 80, of Sioux City passed away Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, at his residence.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel, with the Rev. Merrill Muller of Wesley United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will follow in Logan Park Cemetery, with military graveside rites conducted by the U.S. Navy. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., and a 7 p.m. prayer service, at the funeral home. Condolences may be sent online to meyerbroschapels.com.

Raymond was born Oct. 22, 1929, in Ute, Iowa, the son of Roy and Alice (Moss) Knutson. He attended Ute (IA) and Sioux City schools before entering the U.S. Navy. He moved from Ute to Sioux City in 1942. He served in the U.S. Navy from Nov. 8, 1947 until 1968. He retired from the Navy as a Chief Machinist Mate after 20 years, serving as an engineer in the engine rooms of the USS Astoria, USS Walton, USS Northampton, USS Worcester, USS Bigelow, USS Fort Mandan and USS Cleveland. Following his Navy career, he was employed at Marian Health Center, now Mercy Medical Center, for 19 years as an engineer, retiring in 1992.

He married Lucille Anderson on Nov. 7, 1981, in Sioux City. He was previously married to Stella M. Benduzek.

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1973, Fleet Reserve Association, Siouxland Navy Chiefs Associations and Disabled American Veterans of Sioux City. He was a veteran of the Korean War in addition to Vietnam, and was awarded the Navy Asia Occupation Medal, China Service U.S. Presidential Unit Citation, Korea Presidential Unit Citation, a Bronze Star and Combat Action Ribbon. In his free time, he loved to fish at Brown's Lake, dance and tell jokes.

Survivors include his wife, Lucille Knutson of Sioux City; a daughter, Penny and her husband, Steve Dodson, grandchildren, Wendy, Samantha and Jonathan, and a great-grandchild, Zackery; stepchildren, Rick Anderson and his special friend, Julie Hanson, stepgrandchildren, Randy, Jason and his wife, Virginia, Craig and his wife, Cara, Nicole and her husband, Chad Anderson and their mother, Cindy Anderson, and great-stepgrandchildren, Bailey, Alexandria and Autumn; Karen Denton, stepgrandchildren, Tammy, Tonya and Bodie Thorson, and great-stepgrandchildren, Kenny, Ashley, Melissa, Kaylee, Daniel and Kevin; Rhonda and her husband, Jerry Redfern, stepgrandchildren, Brent and his wife, Jodie, and Bryan, and great-stepgrandchildren, Anderson and Mason; and Robin and her husband, Ward Palmer, stepgrandchildren, Trynn Walden, Jessica, Sydney, Chuck and Brett Palmer, and a great-stepgrandchild, Allison; one brother, Harold and his wife, Irene; and two sisters, Phyllis and her husband, Leon Jolin, and Betty McCormack.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Roy Jr., Dick and his wife, Donna and Lyle and his wife, Garnet; and a brother-in-law, James.