Karen A. Knaus

Funeral service for Karen A. Knaus, 73, of Lake Eshquaguma , will be 10:30am Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at St. Joseph 's Catholic Church in Gilbert with Fr. Charles Flynn officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in the Gilbert Cemetery . Arrangements by Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Gilbert. Karen died Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at Essentia Health - St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth . Karen was born June 7, 1941 in Eveleth , MN to Eli and Aune (Lintula) Pontinen. She was a 1959 graduate of Gilbert High School and later worked in Duluth for a short time. Karen began working in the banking industry in 1961. She worked for State Bank and Northern State Bank in Virginia where she retired with 42 years of service. On September 21, 1963 she married William Knaus in Gilbert. Karen was a member of the Eshquaguma Club, and the Gilbert Curling Club where she was an avid curler and represented Gilbert at State playoffs for three years. She was also an avid hockey mom and member of the Blue Line Club. Survivors include her husband, William; son, Michael (Jodi) Knaus of Gilbert; grandchildren: Alex and Jaclyn; siblings: Lee Pontinen of Eveleth , Bob (Joy) Pontinen of Sparta and David Pontinen of Sparta ; several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Sandra Buncich.