Alvina D. Knutson, age 88, of Volga, died Saturday, December 24, 2011, at the United Retirement Center in Brookings. Funeral services will be 10:30 A.M. Thursday, December 29, 2011, at First Lutheran Church in Volga, with interment in the church cemetery. Visitations will precede services at the church. Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society or McCrory Gardens at SDSU. Alvina D. (Tieszen) Knutson was born September 22, 1923, at Marion, South Dakota, to Derk D. and Katherine (Schartner) Tieszen. She grew up on a farm west of Marion, attended country school through the sixth grade, and graduated from Marion High School in 1941. She attended South Dakota State College for two years. Alvina worked in San Francisco for two years, and then for Sears and Roebuck in Kansas City. In January 1946 she married William E. Green in Marion, South Dakota. They lived in Wyanet, Illinois, for nine years and had three daughters. William died in 1954. On July 5, 1959, she married Leonard A. Knutson at Marion. Alvina worked for Brost's Fabric Store in Brookings for about three years, and the SDSU Food Service for seven years until her retirement at age 70. Alvina was a member of First Lutheran Church in Volga and the WELCA. She taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. She belonged to the Century Club of Volga from 1961 until 2008. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmothercooking, baking, making candy, and serving as a girl scout leader. She enjoyed gardening, raising houseplants, and sewing. Survivors include her husband, Leonard A. Knutson, at URC in Brookings; three daughters: Jo Anne L. (Milan) Kruse of Brookings, Katherine M. (Fred) Prahl of Lake Norden, South Dakota, and Barbara E. (Richard) Tarp of Blaine, Minnesota; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Martha Maher, of Dover, Delaware. She was preceded in death by her first husband, William E. Green; an infant sister, Katherine; a sister, Anne; and five brothers, Herman, Bernhard, Ferdinand, Edward, and Elias.