Ruth Ann Knapp

Ruth Ann (Dunn) Knapp died peacefully on September 9,2023 at the age of 97.  She was born to Cecil James Dunn and Hazel Verna (Arnold) Dunn in Oakland County, Addison Township, Michigan, on September 29, 1925. She attended a one room country school in Lakeville, Michigan, Oxford High School, and graduated from Michigan State in 1948, in Art Education. While attending the University of Chicago Divinity School the summer of her junior year, her college sweetheart, Kenneth W. Knapp, came and proposed.  They married in June 1948.

Ruth Ann taught for one year while Ken finished his B. A. in Business. Upon his graduation, Ken started with JC Penney's in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where Medora and Laurie were born. While moving to Peru/La Salle, Illinois for JCPenney's, Ruth Ann went home to deliver Melanie in Pontiac, Michigan. Paul Jordan was born in Peru/La Salle. Multiple moves for JCPenney’s took the family all over the Midwest.

Kenneth’s last JCPenney’s move in September 1976, was to LaCrosse, Wisconsin. They joined the First Congregational Church that fall. In 1977, Melanie died in a car accident, and was awarded her DDS degree posthumously from the University of Iowa. Ruth Ann enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and audited metals/silver smithing in 1979. Designing and creating jewelry was one of her favorite activities. This included having her own show at UW-LaCrosse. She continued this creative endeavor well into her 90’s.

Ruth Ann was a devoted wife, caring for Kenneth through Alzheimer's until his death in 2004. Her family was always a priority. Ruth Ann actively supported the Pump House, La Crosse Symphany Orchestra, P.E.O., AAUW, and was humorously dubbed “The Mayor of Hackberry Lane”.

Ruth Ann is survived by three children, Medora (James) Koehler, Laurie Gabrielson (friend Bruce Lindseth), Paul (Janine) Knapp; grandchildren James (Kathryn) Knapp, Jennifer (Joshua) Severson, Megan (Scott) Mackey, Erica (Tyler) Whitney, Nicole Gabrielson; great-grandchildren Theodore, Ann, Fletcher, Sloan, Bergen, Abraham, Cecelia, Emerson, Roman, Quinton, Lincoln, and Evelyn.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the First Congregational Church, Main and Losey, La Crosse, at 11a.m. on October 7th, 2023, with lunch to follow. The visitation will be from 10-11a.m. prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the First Congregational Church Sanctuary Choir; the LaCrosse Symphany Orchestra; or the Ruth Ann Knapp Scholarship Fund for Art Metals, UW-LaCrosse.