Winnifred Knutson, age 81, passed away Saturday, December 29, 2018 at the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd, New Rockford.

Winnifred Sjoberg was born May 26, 1937, in Devils Lake, North Dakota to William and Selma Sjoberg.  She graduated High School in Devils Lake and attended the University of North Dakota and Minot State University and taught one year in a one-room-schoolhouse north of Devils Lake.  

On September 7, 1958, Winnifred married Gary Knutson in Devils Lake.  They made their home in Wahpeton until 1960 when they returned to Devils Lake to begin farming on the family farms and raise their children.  In 1969 Winnifred returned to the University of North Dakota and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1970. 

Winnifred was a substitute teacher in the Lake Region area before she began at the Churchs Ferry School where she taught English, directed the school play and oversaw the school newspaper.  In addition to those duties, she also became the Superintendent.  When the Churchs Ferry School closed, Winnifred worked a variety of jobs, to include teaching at UND Lake Region, until she became co-owner of Partners Bookseller’s in the Log Junction with Marnie Johnson.

The last ten plus years of her life, Winnifred battled Dementia/Alzheimers, causing her to miss out on so much.  But now her family and friends can remember her for who she was.   

Though a quiet and personal person, Winnifred loved her family. She loved teaching, being a partner in the bookstore and reading.  She loved cooking and became great at it.  She loved traveling; from a trip through Europe with her daughter, Karla, Alaska with her daughter, Renae, and granddaughters Marti and Hannah, attending the Upper Midwest Booksellers Associating Trade Show in Minneapolis with her son, John, to exploring the backroads of North Dakota, eastern Montana and western Minnesota with her husband Gary. 

Winnifred is survived by her husband, Gary Knutson, Devils Lake, children, Karla (Rick) Halldorson, Enderlin, Renae (Norris) Elshaug, Devils Lake, John (Kara) Knutson, Grand Forks, grandchildren, Kristian (Keighla) Halldorson, Mitchell (Alisha) Halldorson, Aaron (Bethany) Elshaug, Marti (Matthew) Curtis, Hannah (Mitch) Martinson, Connor Knutson, 10 great-grandchildren, sister-in-law Shirley (William) Barkie, several nieces and a nephew.

Winnifred was preceded in death by her parents, William and Selma Sjoberg, brother, John Sjoberg and sister-in-law Betty Moen.

Funeral Service will be held in the spring of 2019.

Burial will be held at the Norway Lutheran Cemetery, rural Devils Lake, ND in the spring of 2019.