Jean Ethel (Menhusen) Knowlton was born Aug. 1, 1923. She was the oldest of four children born to Theodore and Bessie Ethel (Snyder) Menhusen at Jewell, Kansas.
Jean went to Jewell Public Schools and grad- uated from Jewell High School. She worked at the Jewell Elevator, Jewell County ASCS office, and McCarthy Hardware.
Jean met the love of her life, Albert Clinton Knowlton, and they married Dec. 26, 1943. They spent their honeymoon in Kansas City, Kansas, where they bought their first car. They had been wed 58 years when Albert died in 2002.
Jean was a homemaker and farm wife. Born to this union were two daughters: Ann Jeannette Colson and Nancy Jo Anderson. During early years of marriage, there were wartime and food, gasoline and clothing rations, so a big garden was raised and canned. She did a lot of baking and dressed chickens. Jean's dad, Ted, helped butcher and process beef and pork. Jean belonged to Tri-H Club, and held many offices in UMW at the Methodist Church, Civic Improvement Club and Jewell Garden Club. Jean and Albert enjoyed their family, playing cards, dancing and picture shows. When they retired, they built a house in Jewell where she lived until about the last five years. Then she lived at Resident Care Center, Beloit, Kansas. Jean and Albert stayed 15 winters at Alamo, Texas.
Jean was preceded in death by parents; husband, Albert; sisters: Alice T. Meckfessel and Fannie Louise Menhusen; brother: Robert S. Menhusen; nephews, Monty Menhusen, Kenny Knarr and Warren Heinen; sisters-in-law; Bernadette Menhusen, Noma Arasmith and Alene Heinen; brothers-in-law; Douglas Knarr, Lyle Arasmith and Harold Heinen.
She is survived by her daughters, Ann Colson (Stan) and Nancy Anderson (Jerry); grandchildren, Marcia (Colson) Duskie (Ed); Gary Colson (Shena); Joe Colson (Christy); Peg (Colson) Johnson (David); Kathy (Anderson) Livingston (Jason); Darrell Anderson (Juretta); 18 great grandchildren; 28 great-great grandchildren and more on the way; and a host of friends and other relatives.
Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. today (Thursday) Dec. 21, 2023 at Kleppinger Funeral Home, Jewell. Her
funeral will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday Dec. 22, 2023, at the Trinity Methodist Church, Jewell, with Pastor Keith Shank officiating.
Burial will follow at Wallace Cemetery, Jewell.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Trinity Methodist Church, Solomon Valley Hospice, or the Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems Resident Care Center.
Nutter Mortuary, Concordia, is in charge of arrangements.
Reader Comments(0)