Oceanna Marie Knutson

Oceanna Knutson, age 95, of Hutchinson, formerly of Cottonwood passed away Sunday, April 1 at the Harmony Living Center in Hutchinson. A private family service will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. from the Sunset Funeral Home Chapel in Echo, with burial in the Cottonwood City Cemetery. A public reception will be held at the Cottonwood community Center in Cottonwood from 3-5PM on Saturday. Sunset Funeral and Cremation Association of Echo and Wabasso are in charge of the arrangements. Oceanna Marie Knutson was born on April 24, 1916 to John and Ella (Pfarr) Wilson in Ivanhoe, Minnesota. She was baptized on November 26, 1922 in Centuria, Wisconsin. Growing up, she lived at a few different farms with her family in the Ivanhoe, Cottonwood and Marshall areas. On August 27, 1937, Oceanna was united in marriage to Alvin Knutson on his parent’s farm south of Marshall, Minnesota. Over the years, they made their home at several different farms in the Marshall and Cottonwood areas and upon retirement moved into Cottonwood. In 1997, they moved to Hutchinson, Minnesota to be closer to family. After Alvin’s death on November 14, 2004, Oceanna remained in the Evergreen Apartments in Hutchinson until moving into the Harmony River Living Center the last two months of her life. She was a housekeeper all her life from the time she was 16 until the age of 80 when she finally retired. Oceanna always put her family first, they were very important to her, but also enjoyed quilting, sewing, cooking, rug weaving and gardening. On April 1, 2012, Oceanna passed away at the Harmony River Living Center in Hutchinson, Minnesota at the age of 95. She is survived by her two sons, John “Jack” of Las Vegas, NV and Alvin Jr. of Pecan Gap, TX; four daughters, Patricia (Charles) VanMoer of Tracy, MN, Betty (Fritz) Schwermann of Hutchinson, MN, Julie (Bill) Macrae of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Susan (Jim) Schultz of Delano, MN; two sisters, Marge Gigstad of Marshall, MN and Viola Green of Oro Valley, AZ; 23 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren; son-in-law Martin Wells; nieces, nephews and friends. Her parents, husband Alvin, daughter Delores Wells, brothers Robert Wilson, Harold Wilson and Virgil Wilson, sisters Dorothy Schmidt, Maxine Smith, Violet Wilson and Edna Minnick, and daughter-in-law Shizue Knutson preceded her in death. Blessed be the memory of Oceanna.