Barbara Whitaker Knudson

1938 - 2015

My mother, Barbara Whitaker Knudson, was born on July 2, 1938 in Farmington, Utah to Keith Whitaker (who loved to hear her sing) and Dorothy Whitaker Bowcutt.
She grew up one of six children, and lived at various times, in Milford, Salt Lake, and Stockton, CA. She spent a year at B.Y.U., and worked for the telephone company before getting married and having one child. She named me Brent.
Barbara was challenged her entire life with a seizure disorder. Even with the many falls and head wounds, she managed to live independently many years of her life, and raise her son mostly by herself.
She was a fine mother to me and did her best to teach me a good set of life values. We lived a good life walking and riding bicycles to grocery stores, going to church, bowling occasionally, and growing up in Stockton, CA. She was a good cook and made a homemade pizza I still remember fondly. We both loved to eat ice cream and her favorite was Neapolitan.
Barbara is survived by her son Brent (Keiko) and her wonderful siblings MarJean, LaDean, Dennis, Don, and Dale. I want to thank all of them for the help and support they gave my mother and me at different times throughout the years of her life. Special thanks to LaDean and Dale for opening their house to me and being my partners in helping to regularly visit and look after her in the later years. Thanks to MarJean and George who helped in her early life, were always there for support, and made her final arrangements perfect. Thanks to Don and Sandy for helping us and being a second family to me in Stockton for many years while I grew up. Thanks to my wife Keiko for her support, and making many trips to Salt Lake with me to help look after mom.
Special thanks to all the staff at Rocky Mountain (Murray) care center for providing skilled care and loving companionship to my feisty mom for the last years of her life. Thanks to all other previous health organizations and care systems that made her life safe and manageable.
My mother loved the Mormon faith, and I want to express our gratitude to the LDS Church for providing sanctuary, help, fellowship, and solid core values in her life and mine as well. Barbara was not able to drive a car and I want to thank the Shumway and Sorenson families in Stockton, CA. for the countless rides to church during those years. Thanks to all the other members of the church who gave help at different times throughout her life.
Thank you Lord for looking after my mother, giving her 77 years of life, and finally bringing her home gently in her sleep.
Mom, we had fun together while you raised me. Thank you for my life and all the love you gave me. We'll miss you down here, you are free now.
Funeral services will be held, Thursday July 23, 2015 11:00 a.m. at the Anderson & Sons Mortuary, American Fork. A viewing will be held from 9:45-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Burial in American Fork Cemetery. Please share a memory at andersonmortuary.com.