William "Bill" Knaus

William "Bill" Knaus, age 90, passed away on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 in Bellingham. He was born May 1, 1920 in Mabton, WA to Henry and Mollie (Usinger) Knaus. Bill served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy. He married the love of his life, Florence Stolle, on September 29, 1940. Together, they were called by God to serve as missionaries for the Child Evangelism Fellowship. They began this journey by traveling to Brazil to build camps and missions for children, and this took them all over the world from 1952-1969. Bill was an excellent carpenter, plumber, and handyman which helped him and Florence on their missions. They returned to Bellingham and continued to work at The Firs where Bill used his building skills to continue his mission to build children's camps, completing Camp Firwood, and working at The Firs in all aspects of building and maintenance. Bill also was a barber, and opened his own shop in Bellingham. He is survived by Florence, his wife of 70 years; his son David Arnold Knaus; daughter Priscilla Crisman; 4 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces & nephews. Bill had an amazing sense of humor. "We love you and we miss you". Memorials may be made to The Firs at 4605 Cable St., Bellingham, WA 98229. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, April 5th at 2:00 PM at Northlake Community Church at 1471 McLeod Rd, corner of Britton & McLeod in Bellingham. You may share your thoughts and memories of Bill in the online memorial guest book at www.molesfuneralhomes.com Moles Family Funeral Homes & Crematory, Bayview Chapel