Myrna L. Knigge 82, of Woonsocket passed away Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, at the Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell. 

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at St. Wilfrid Catholic Church in Woonsocket. A scripture service was held at 5 p.m. on Sunday at the church. A visitation was held prior to the service. Burial was in the church cemetery. The service was live streamed on Fr. Kevin Doyle YouTube.

Myrna was born July 10, 1938, to Leo and Gladys (Roti) Higgins in Alpena. She grew up on a farm south of Alpena and later west of Alpena with her parents and six siblings. She attended school in Alpena and graduated in 1956. From there, she earned her nursing degree at St. John’s School of Nursing in Huron in 1959.

She dreamed of moving to California after nursing school; however, she met Charles Knigge at the Lane Ballroom, and after they married on Oct. 22, 1960, she only made it 10 miles when they moved to the Knigge family farm south of Woonsocket. They later moved to the edge of town in 1967 where they raised their four children, Patrick, Cheryl, Lee and Cindy.

Myrna began her career in 1959 at the Huron Regional Medical Center. She then worked at the Weskota Memorial Medical Center from 1960 – 1974. She worked as the Sanborn and Aurora County Community Health Nurse and retired after 27 years of dedicated service in 2001. She loved to care for people and touched many people’s lives. Myrna loved spending time with family, camping, gardening, flowers, traveling, and the color blue. She had a strong faith and was a lifetime member and servant of the St. Wilfrid Catholic Church.

Grateful for sharing her life are her husband, Charles of almost 60 years; children, Patrick, Cheryl (Scott) Moe, Lee (Ann), Cindy (Wade) McKittrick; 12 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; her sisters, Marlene (Pat) Howard, Jan Stange, Ilene Breakie, and Diane (Skip) Larson; sisters-in-law, LeElda Higgins and Patricia Higgins; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding Myrna in death were her parents; father-in-law, Henry Knigge; brothers, Darrell and Duane; grandson, Tyler; brothers-in-law, Fred Breakie and Donald Stange.