Esther Clara Knuth

Esther Clara Kipp Knuth, 91, of Stover, passed away on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, at Golden Age Living Center in Stover, MO.

She was born January 15th, 1931, in a house north of Stover, Missouri, the oldest daughter of Louis Kipp and Edna (Henning) Kipp.

She was baptized by Rev. Stoltz at Christ Lutheran Church on January 25th, 1931, and confirmed by Rev. H. A. Kolm on March 25th, 1945.  She was a faithful and lifelong member of the congregation, teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, serving with Alter Guild and serving as the first teacher for Junior Lutherans when that organization was formed in the 1960s. She also spent a number of years coordinating the videoing of church services and making sure copies got to shut-ins.

She graduated from Stover High School in 1949 and began taking summer classes at Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg while teaching at a one-room school during the school year.  She taught in the Benton County Public Schools for four years, two years at Lake Creek and two years at Bahrenburg.

On August 30, 1953, she married Lyle K. Knuth at Christ Lutheran Church in Stover.  They started out living on a farm south of town, but within a few years they moved north of Stover and bought the farm where they raised their family.  Esther raised four children, Patricia, Paul, Mark and Kenny and helped with farm chores, milking cows and later helping raise turkeys, while Lyle farmed and raised cattle, worked at Fajen’s Lumber Yard and later worked as a builder and handyman.  They had a big vegetable garden full of produce that Esther planted, picked and canned, and there were flower beds, because she loved flowers.  Esther was also a 4-H cooking project leader while her children were in 4-H.

Every year at fair time, Esther would enter canned goods at the Morgan County and Cole Camp fairs. When the Cole Camp Area History was published in 1976, she was listed as one of the most consistent winners in the Home Economics category.

Once her youngest son was in school, she started working outside the home, first at Smithson’s Quilting and then at Golden Age Nursing Home in the Dietary Department.  She worked there for twelve years, serving as Dietary Supervisor for the last nine years.  When Lyle’s health declined, she retired and they moved to a smaller house on the farm.

After Lyle died in 1996, she stayed on the farm and raised a few more cattle.  In 2004, she moved to a house in town and enjoyed living among good neighbors.  As her memory started to fail, in 2015 she moved to Ambrose Park Residential Care Facility in Cole Camp, where she lived until she moved back to Stover to Golden Age Living Center in July 2021.

Esther liked to piece quilts and crochet when she wasn’t taking care of her flowers.  She liked to do filet crochet and crocheted over 100 family names.  Esther loved her grandchildren and delighted in her great-grandchildren.

Survivors include her children Patricia Knuth of Columbia, Paul (Maria) Knuth of Auburn, Alabama, Mark (Cyndi) Knuth and Kenny Knuth of Stover.  Grandchildren; Jessica (Robert) Melvin and Shaye (Philip) Rawson of Auburn, Alabama. Joshua Knuth of Atlanta, Georgia, Chelsea (Stephen) Dorsey of Stover, McKenzie (Lauren) Knuth of Otterville,  Step-grandchildren Riley (Taylor) Stanley of Gravois Mills, and Noah Whittle of Stover.  Great-grandchildren Bentley, Kinsley and Layne Dorsey; Amelia, Abigail and Ansley Melvin; Anniston Knuth and James Rawson, step-great-grandchildren Lyla and Esme Stanley. Her sisters Armilda Eckhoff and Wilma Williams, Cole Camp, Sisters-in-law Rosalie (Ed) Faltin, Fremont, Nebraska and Alice Grove, Bismarck, North Dakota, and brother-in-law Ed Knuth, Omaha, Nebraska, along with nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Lyle, her parents, in-laws Eldon Eckhoff, Calvin Balke, George Williams, Kermit and Amy Knuth, Velma Knuth, Bud (Claus Jr.) and Maylo Knuth, Helen and Perry Adams and Orland Grove, along with nieces Cindy Adams and Sandra Stinson and nephews Tim Knuth and Tom Knuth.

Private services will be held for Esther with burial to take place in the Stover Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions are suggested to Christ Lutheran Church, The American Bible Society or the charity of your choice.

.

There are no gallery images.