Byron Frank Knutsen

1938 - 2024

Byron passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on August 31 just one day before the date he started chemo 4 years ago. He was born on 13 May 1938 in St. Clairsville, Ohio. He was the first child for Frank and Evelyn Knutsen and later there were two sisters and one brother.

His early school years were in a few towns in Ohio. His college degrees were first in Indiana and later a Masters in Chemistry in Illinois, and this education led to his being a teacher in high schools for 34 years in chemistry, physics, upper math, and other sciences. The high schools were in Washington, Guam, Western Samoa, Ogden, UT, Dayton, ID and Malad, ID. There were 3 main choices in Byron's adult life that made a good life possible. First, it was at Earlham College that he met Ginny Kuhl who became his best friend and wife and mother of his children for 63 years. Second, he and Ginny were baptized in Illinois in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when they were 25 and 26 years old. Third, Byron and Ginny had a desire to have children and be a larger family. The children are Lara (Scott Holt), Erik (Wendi), Kacey Felila (Russ), and Nathan (Sarah). They live in Colorado, Utah and Wisconsin. In addition, there are 19 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Byron is also survived by his loving brother, Roger (Mimi), and sister, Sheila.

Byron has had many interests. They included: cross country and track runner, teaching himself to work with stained glass, snowshoeing, weaving fine wall hangings, teaching himself to work with a mapping program to document his exploring of pioneer trails, indexing/transcribing on the computer of records from the past, remodeling projects, gardening, amateur archaeology, hiking in the sagebrush deserts and the western mountains, family history research, daily exercise, and being involved in the lives of his family.

His qualities are appreciated and loved by many, such as living a Gospel-centered life, integrity, faith, having self-discipline to complete tasks he sets out to do, the ability to express ideas, being a great teacher at school and church, having compassion for others, interest in learning, having a fun sense of humor and being an interesting conversationalist.

Two highlights in the past 18 years were first serving a two-part Mission in both Macon, Georgia and Bilbao, Spain with Ginny and later both being temple workers in the Logan Utah Temple.

On Friday, September 13th there will be a viewing from 7-8 pm in Malad Idaho, at Horsley Funeral Home, 132 W. 300 N. The next day, September 14th there will be a viewing from 12-1 at the stake building at 55 East 1st South in Preston, Idaho with the funeral following at 1:30. Burial is in Malad, Idaho.

Anyone wishing to send flowers may order them through Daisy Hollow in Malad to be delivered to the Horsley Funeral Home.