Marvelle Leona Benson Knutson

January 28, 1932--July 6, 2020

Marvelle Leona Knutson will forever be remembered by her family and friends for her quiet, charming sense of humor, but mostly for the courage she exhibited daily in the face of the Multiple Sclerosis she'd been diagnosed with in her early twenties. She passed away at the age of eighty-eight July 6, 2020 in central Minnesota's Long Prairie Nursing Home, with her six grown children by her side over her final two days.

Born in Isanti, Mn., Marvelle met her husband, Robert Knutson in Cook, Mn. They married in 1951. Due to a new teaching position for Bob, the family moved to Thief River Falls in 1969, where they lived for fifteen years before returning to Cook. In the earliest parts of their marriage Marvelle and Bob were members of the Northland Saddle Club, riding in horse shows and going on trail rides on their quarter horses. Later they got even more adventurous with houseboat living in the Crane Lake area and Voyageurs National Park. There they spent summers fishing, touring the vast waterways, exploring and hiking, mostly with their three younger children at the time, Jay, Kris, and Kara. Marvelle and Bob later enjoyed being winter snowbirds in Mission, Texas, where they met many new friends and where Marvelle rescued her beloved Chihuahua, 'Bull'.

In addition to being a stay-at-home mom, Marvelle cherished the simple pleasure of sitting at a kitchen table, drinking coffee and chatting very happily with one or two of her close sisters. She also enjoyed many projects:  working with stained glass, candle making, and wood carving, which she was determined to proceed with in her later years. Though the MS began to make many projects a challenge she insisted on staying busy. She read voraciously for several years, mostly mystery/crime novels, and teased that she wished she'd become a forensic crime investigator.

Her husband Robert died of cancer in Oct. 2005. Two years later Marvelle entered the nursing home for the last twelve years of her life, her daughters Bobbi and Kris keeping her company and tending her closely in the same town. Marvelle is survived by two sisters: Goldie Knapp of Cook, and Phyllis Edblom of Shoreview, Mn. Her six children are Bobbi (Paul) of Long Prairie; Nancy (Wayne) of Boulder, Colorado; Joel (Joann) of Cook, Mn; Jay (Rachel) of Prior Lake, Mn; Kris (Randy)of Long Prairie; Kara (Jeff) of Crane Lake, Mn. Marvelle has ten grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and another on the way. She was preceded in death by husband Robert Knutson, grandson Joel Henry Knutson Jr., sisters Ruth, Judith, Helmi, Ranghild, and brother Sig.

The family is planning a celebration of life/memorial for Marvelle in Cook, Minn. in the Fall. They request no flowers please. Any memorials can be made to the MS Society in Marvelle's memory.