Elaine Knutson, 82, Frost

Published 12:00 am Saturday, February 3, 2007

Elaine Marguerite Knutson, age 82, of Frost, died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at Good Samaritan Center in Albert Lea. Funeral services were at 10:30 a.m. today at United Lutheran Church in Frost. Visitation was Sunday at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Bricelyn and one hour prior to the service at the church. The Revs. Ed Nieman and Pat Hinkie officiated. Interment will be in the Dell Lutheran Cemetery in rural Frost.

Elaine was born May 29, 1924, on a farm near Bricelyn, the daughter of Mike and Emma (Walker) Knutson. She was one of four children, and was baptized and confirmed at United Lutheran in Frost. She attended Clayton country school and graduated from Bricelyn High School in 1943. After high school, Elaine took normal training in Blue Earth and attended teacher&8217;s college in Mankato. She then taught country school for five years. Before making application to the World Mission Prayer League, she attended L.B.I. (Lutheran Bible Institute) in Minneapolis for a year. She was commissioned as a missionary in the World Mission Prayer League by the Rev. H.O. Mosby, pastor of United Lutheran Church in Frost on Nov. 19, 1950.

On Dec. 29, 1950, she left New Orleans to go to Costa Rica to study Spanish for one year. She served under appointment of the World Mission Prayer League for God&8217;s Service in Bolivia for eight years. She was then called to Cuenca, Ecuador where she started a bilingual school with nine students. The school is still in operation today and has grown to well over 1,000 students. Illness forced Elaine to leave Ecuador in 1971, and after some time moved to Bricelyn where she continued in ministry to her family and friends. There were always two things at her side, her basket of letters and her Bible. She loved family and friends and her Lord.

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Elaine is survived by one sister, Mavis and her husband Gehard Leland of Bricelyn, and sister-in-law: Lorraine Dodan of Mason City, Iowa. She loved her nieces and nephews as if they were her children: Steve (Deanna) Knutson of Frost, Gary (Sandi) Knutson of Longmont, Colo., Sheryl (Charles) Larson of Sherburn; Karen (Richard) Bleess of Fergus Falls; Beverly (Steve) Thorn of Sherburn; Kathleen (Rick) Dirks of Johnstown, Colo.; Emily Spencer of Mason City, Iowa.; David (Marge) Knutson of Kasota; Jonathon (Bernita) Knutson of Sauke Rapids; Mike and (Barb) Knutson of Marcus, Iowa; Greg (Kathy) Leland, Carter (Yvonne) Leland, Paulette (Kevin) Legred, all of Bricelyn; LuAnn (Tommy) Kraemer of Bloomington; Jeff (Ann) Leland of Pine Island; 42 great-nieces and nephews; cousins; and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers: Clarence and Ornell; sister-in-law, Marian; and one nephew Roger Knutson.

Blessed be her memory.