Merle Knutzen, 99, of Brookings, passed away on December 18, 2020 at The Neighborhoods at Brookview.  Private family funeral services will be held on Monday, December 28th at Zion Lutheran Church in Alexandria, MN, with burial to follow in Kinkead Cemetery, Alexandria.  The funeral will be uploaded to the Eidsness Funeral Home website by Tuesday morning.  Eidsness Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Merle B. (Belle) Knutzen was born on November 18, 1921, to Anson and Ivy (Scow) Wolfe in rural Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska.  She was a graduate of Cedar Bluffs High School, and attended nurse's training at Lincoln General Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Merle married Randall Knutzen on May 10, 1942, at her home in Cedar Bluffs.  They lived in Omaha, Nebraska until Randall was inducted into the Coast Guard on December 24, 1942, and was stationed near Boston, Massachusetts.  After the war Randall was employed by Navistar International as a comptroller.  During his career there he was transferred to a number of new locations.  They moved from Nebraska to Iowa, then Illinois, then New York, and finally, Minnesota.

Randall and Merle were very active in church where Merle taught Sunday School and was active in Ladies Fellowship. Merle volunteered at Bethany on The Lake as well as volunteering in the library at the Zion Lutheran School.  Merle and Randall loved to square dance and played in pinochle and bridge clubs.  Merle worked for ten years at the Bloomington Public Library.  They retired to Alexandria, Minnesota in 1976, and built a home on Lake Le Homme Dieu where they spent many happy years with family and friends.  Following Randall's passing in 2002, she decided to move to Brookings to be closer to family.  She has been a resident at Stoneybrook Suites for the past six years where she made many friends.  She played a mean game of bingo and Uno, and probably read every Amish romance book in the Brookings Public Library.  Her strong faith sustained her throughout her life.

Merle is survived by her three children: a daughter, Susan Crew, of White Bear Lake, MN, two sons: Randy (Sue) Knutzen, of Brookings, SD, and Timothy (Rachel) Knutzen, of New Hope, MN; 8 grandchildren; and twelve great-grandchildren.

Merle was preceded in death by her husband, Randall; her parents; two brothers; and four sisters.

In lieu of flowers, Merle's family requests that memorial donations be designated to the Peace Lutheran Church in Brookings.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:

The Family of Merle Knutzen
C/O Eidsness Funeral Home
1617 Orchard Drive
Brookings, SD 57006