A Celebration Of Life for Marilyn Ann Knauss will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, Ringsted, Iowa at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, April 15, 2023 with officiant Suzanne Wobig. Visitation Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service at 11:00 a.m.
Graveside Service will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Ringsted, Iowa.
Marilyn Ann (Hubbard Stahl Hoien) Knauss was born in Grinnell, Iowa, on April 15, 1935, to Frederick Harry and Katherine Magdalene (Schilder) Hubbard. She attended the McCormick Country School until 8th grade and when her parents moved into Montezuma she attended and graduated from Montezuma High School in 1952.
Marilyn married Keith Stahl on February 12, 1956, and had one daughter, Jodie Ann, on September 13, 1957. Keith passed away on December 4, 1972, from complications of multiple sclerosis. After Keith’s passing, Marilyn married Russell L. Hoien on June 15, 1973. They spent several years living in Mitchellville, Iowa, and then moved to Harlan, Iowa, in support of Russell’s work in the insurance industry. Russell passed away on February 18, 1989, following a battle with cancer. Marilyn remained in Harlan and was introduced by mutual friends to Wendell Knauss and they were married on April 14, 1990. Wendell developed cancer and passed away on October 5, 2007.
Marilyn continued living in her home in Harlan until symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease began to present in her everyday life. She moved to an assisted living facility in Swea City, Iowa, in November of 2018. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted her pleasant and peaceful life and caused an immediate downgrade in her mental state. She was relocated to a memory care unit in Estherville but, due to COVID, her care and interaction with staff and residents was very limited. Her granddaughter, Kristina Marie (Bridges) Lehman located a facility in North Liberty, near her own home, which provided a much better interactive living situation. In November of 2022, Marilyn moved to the Oskaloosa Care Center in order to be closer to her sisters, brother & sister-in-law and other friends and family in the area. She was in the excellent care of the Serenity House Hospice facility in Oskaloosa when she passed away peacefully the morning of January 30, 2023.
Marilyn is survived by her daughter, Jodie (Bridges) White and husband Vernon of Bancroft; her granddaughter, Kristina Marie (Bridges) Lehman and husband, Ryan, and great grandsons Caden and Dylan Lehman of Tiffin, Iowa; brother Dean (Joy) Hubbard of Montezuma, nieces Allison (Daryl) Pargeon and Alicia (Travis) Minner, nephew Adam (Abby) Hubbard and families; sister Ann (Mike) Emehiser of Indianola, niece Julie (Ryan) Werling and nephew Brett (Brittany) Emehiser and families; and sister Wanda (Cary) Van Kampen, niece Emily (Christopher) Orr and nephew Charlie (Tomi Jo) Van Kampen and families, along with nieces Kandi Jo (Brad) Nelson and Kari Lynn Benson and nephew Rob (Kim) Benson and their families. She leaves behind stepchildren Tom (Mary) Hoien and families; Tim (Kristina) Hoien who himself passed away unexpectedly on January 25, 2023, and families; Teresa (Tracey Rothenberger) Hoien; Richard (Marilyn) Knauss, Reta (Don) Lantis, Ron Knauss, Rhonda (Gary) Nordby and Regena Weihs and their families.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Karon Benson, and her three husbands.
Marilyn enjoyed the love and friendship of many people due to her outgoing and loving personality. People from Montezuma, Malcom, Mitchellville, Harlan and Ringsted will mourn her loss as well as many others she met along the way during her long and fulfilling life. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.
Henry Olson Funeral Home of Armstrong is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences for the family may be left on their website www.henryolsonfuneral.com.
