Clayton Earl KNOLL

KNOLL, WAGONER, COOPER, SOWERS, CORE, GILBERT, WRIGHT, SOVEREIGN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/17/2008 at 11:18:44

MASON CITY- Clayton E. "Bud" Knoll, 97, a resident of the Good Shepherd Health Center and formerly of Cornerstone Assisted Living and 2001 S. Madison Ave. in Mason City, and rural Kanawha, died Friday (March 14, 2008) at the Good Shepherd Health Center. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 18, at the Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church, 340 20th St. S.W. in Mason City with the Rev. Jack Vanden Heuvel and Rev. Maury DeYoung officiating. Interment will be in the Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, Mason City. The family will greet relatives and friends at Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 Second St. S.E. in Mason City from 5 until 7 p.m. on Monday, March 17. The visitation will continue on Tuesday at the church, one hour prior to Bud's service. Those wishing to extend a memorial may direct them to the Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church.

Clayton Earl Knoll was born on October 20, 1910, at home on the family farm near Kanawha. He was the second of three sons born to his parents Ethel Luella (Wagoner) and Arthur Robert Richard Knoll. "Bud," as he was lovingly known to his family and friends, was baptized and confirmed at the Christian Reformed Church in Kanawha and educated in the rural Amsterdam Township School, Hancock County. Bud's love of the outdoors was evident throughout his entire life. He chose to continue his father's legacy as a grain and livestock farmer and even in his later years, still maintained his agriculture interests by reading and listening to the daily markets.

On March 30, 1933, at the Lutheran Parsonage in Clear Lake, Bud was united in marriage to Gertrude Frances Cooper. Their union was blessed with the births of a daughter, Janice and a son, Jerry. Bud and Gertrude would have celebrated their 75th anniversary at the end of this month. Bud's greatest priorities and pride were his family, home and church! He was a member of the Rolling Acres Christian Reformed Church in Mason City and a former member of the Farm Bureau in Hancock County. Bud served on the planning board when building the new Christian Church in Kanawha numerous years ago. In 1971, Bud and Gertrude retired from the farm and moved to Mason City. Shortly thereafter, Bud decided to accept a perfect part-time position for himself at "Big Bear," where he could continue meeting, assisting and conversing with area farm customers. In his leisure time, Bud enjoyed taking short trips with Gertrude to visit family and friends and later, traveling on various bus tours. He was also fond of bird watching, collecting agriculture memorabilia such as hats, pens and belt buckles, playing Aggravation, Skip Bo and 500, and maintaining interests in the happenings in the lives of his children and their families and attending family gatherings. In his earlier years, Bud loved to go fishing, especially if the fish were biting at Crystal Lake, Big Blue or Beed's Lake. On sale days, Bud assisted a local auctioneer in Clear Lake as a "call man." He remained connected to his love of livestock as a custom trucker for area farmers and the Belmond and Kanawha sale barns.

Those left to cherish Bud's memory include his wife, Gertrude Knoll of Mason City; his daughter, Janice Sowers of Cresco; his son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Barb Knoll of Mason City; his six grandchildren, Kay (Larry) Core of Springfield, Va., Brian Sowers of Marshalltown, Ryan (Molly) Knoll of Mason City, Angie (Todd) Gilbert of Clear Lake, Arlene Wright of Waterloo and Dee Ann (Rick) Sovereign of Cresco; his thirteen great-grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends. Preceding Bud in death are his parents, Arthur and Ethel Knoll; his brother and sister-in-law, Dewayne and Annie Knoll; an infant brother; his son-in-law, Darrell Sowers; his granddaughter, Sara Knoll; his great-grandson, Dylan Sowers and his grand son-in-law, Bob Wright.

Fullerton Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 123 Second St. S.E., Mason City.

Mason City Globe Gazette
March 15, 2008