65273_Robert Carl_Knudtson
FOREST CITY — Robert C. Knudtson, 79 of Forest City, Iowa, died Friday, April 12, 2013, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea, Minn.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2013, at Winnebago Lutheran Church in rural Leland, Iowa, with Pastor Bill Peters officiating.
Visitation will be from 4 until 7 p.m. today, Monday, April 15, at Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street, Lake Mills, IA 50450, and again one hour prior to the service at the church.
Burial will take place at Winnebago Lutheran Cemetery in rural Leland, Iowa.
Robert Carl Knudtson was born December 9, 1933, the eighth child of Knudt B. and Clara (Haugen) Knudtson on the farm, Winnebago County, near Forest City, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed at Winnebago Lutheran Church, where he remained a life-long member.
He attended Paulson Country school in Mt. Valley Township for eight years, then attended and graduated from Forest City High School in 1951.
On April 24, 1955, he was united in marriage to Delores Davidson at Zion Lutheran Church in Thompson, Iowa. They would have celebrated 58 years of marriage on April 24, 2013.
After their marriage, they lived on the original homestead where Robert raised livestock and worked in the fields. He was very proud of his dairy herd and livestock he raised. He started milking cows and farming with his father Knudt at age 18.
Robert had a love for the land and for the farm he called home for so many years. He lived on the Knudtson home place for 72 years before he and Delores moved to Forest City in November 2007. Even then, a trip to “the farm” was one of his daily routines as well as riding exercise bike at the YMCA, shooting pool and playing pingpong.
He often talked about the “good ol days” working the horse-drawn, two-bottom plow, to most recently driving a tractor “hands free” allowing him to multi-task (lol).
He enjoyed the tractor rides every year with his nephews and friends, ice fishing, playing cards, golfing at Rice Lake and dancing.
Robert was a very active member of Winnebago Lutheran Church, serving in numerous capacities from the cemetery board (he was a Trustee), to Brotherhood and Winnebago Couples Club. Robert also served on many area boards, everything from Farm Bureau, Creamery Board, Elevator Board and rural Forest City Fire Department.
He is survived by his loving wife, Delores; his daughters, Karen Kester (her fiancé Mark Stenzel), Kathleen (Bernal) Hanna, Brenda (Mark) Kingland, and son, Brian (Carmen) Knudtson, all of Forest City, Iowa; his grandchildren, Rachel (Jeremy) Rognes, Kimberly (Rob) Scott, Levi Kester, Justin (Michelle) Kester, Jeremy (Elissa) Hanna, Jessica (Nick) Kudej, Alyssa (Ash) Lange, Josh Hanna, Ben (Sara) Kingland and Sara Kingland, Kalin and Truman Knudtson; and eleven great-grandchildren, Brynn and Calvin Rognes, Wesley and Spencer Scott, Millie Kester, Ethan and Owen Kudej, Jonah and Benjamin Lange, twins, Pemberley and Paisley Hanna.
Also surviving are in-laws, Ruth Knudtson, Cleone Knudtson, Evelyn Knudtson, Mavis Thorson, Lois and Valdean Lembke, Gloria Davidson; along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents, Knudt and Clara; step-mother, Mabelle; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ernest (Avis) Knudtson, Charles (Irene) Knudtson, Melburn Knudtson, James Knudtson, Victor Knudtson; sisters and brothers-in-law, Edith (Raymond) Knutson and Florence (John) Albaugh; along with brothers-in law, Robert Thorson and David Davidson.
You can contact the family with online condolences at www.mittelstadtfuneralhome.com; 641-592-0221.