LeRoy H. Knutson, age 91 of rural Clayton, WI, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family and pastor on Sunday, September 12, 2020.
LeRoy Herbert Knutson was born on December 4, 1928 in Clayton, WI the son of Norman “Norie” & Agnes (Hanson) Knutson on the home farm. While his actual birthdate was Dec. 4th, his mother couldn't get to town to report his birth until Dec. 6th. This presented lifelong challenges when it came to which birthdate to use. He grew up in rural Clayton, was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church and graduated from Clayton High School in 1946. On August 18, 1956, LeRoy was married to the love of his life, Marilyn J. Franko at Immanuel Lutheran Church and together they raised two daughters, Lanelle & Renee'. He was an amazing father who enjoyed mentoring and spending time with his family. LeRoy operated his dairy farm for many years in rural Clayton (Reeve), even though he was not one bit fond of cheese. His great sense of humor, witty personality and storytelling were enjoyed by many. He enjoyed watching educational TV programs and reading about nature and how things were built. He had an infectious smile that warmed the hearts of those who knew him best. In his spare time he enjoyed traveling, watching horse pulling in Ridgeland, fishing with his cane pole in his jon boat, rooting for the Green Bay Packers and educating and being educated at the "job center" (Reeve Bar). Although never a big drinker, many may not know there was a drink named "The LeRoy" at the bar in Reeve. His daughters would come home from college and discuss what they learned in their Ag classes in an attempt to impress their father only to find out that he already read about it in Hoard's Dairyman. He loved spending time with nature on his land and will be sorely missed by his family and friends.
Preceded in death by his parents, Norie & Agnes Knutson; brother Leland Knutson;
& sister Lorraine Thomas
Survived by his
Wife - Marilyn Knutson - Clayton, WI
Daughters
Lanelle (Richard) Klinner - Clayton, WI
Renee' (Don Amsden) Knutson - West Lafayette, IN
Grand-Daughters
Rachel (Brandon) Graber - Roberts, WI
Megan Henning - Eau Claire, WI
3 Great-Grandchildren
Reese & Heath Graber & Eloise Henning
Sister
Lucille James - Bend, OR
Father Figure to Many including:
Missy (Shjon) Anderson - Turtle Lake, WI, JayDe (Penny) Franko - Prairie Farm, WI, Randy (Amy) Rockenbach - Colorado Springs, CO and Rod (Nancy) Allrich - West Pointe, IN
Other Relatives, Family & Friends
Memorial Services at the Scheuermann-Hammer Funeral Home at 2 pm on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 with a visitation from 1-2 pm.
Interment at a later date in the Reeve Cemetery
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