Frank A. Knutsen, 80, of Malad, Idaho, passed away in Harms Memorial Nursing Home in American Falls on Tuesday, March 16,1993.

He was born on the first day of springs, March 21, 1912, in Scotch Ridge, Ohio. He attended a rural county school, and graduated from Martins Ferry High School in 1930. He was the first member of bother his mother’s and father’s family to graduation from college. In 1934 he earned a teaching certificate from Wooster College in Wooster, Ohio.

In the summer of 1934 he married Evelyn Martin, and they raised four children, Byron, Roger, Elsie and Eileen. One daughter died as a youth, and the other died in an auto accident during her student teaching experience in college.

Frank was a school teacher and coach of cross country and track during most of his school
teaching years. Several of his runners placed in state in track and cross country. He taught Latin and English at the high-school level in Ohio and Illinois.

In his early years, he spent considerable time with the Quakers and Church of the Brethren. He became acquainted with both of these churches during World War II. He and his wife and children spent two summers with the Quakers in directing high school youth in work camps with minority races in Ohio and South Carolina.

Frank spent one summer helping rebuild a hospital in Germany that was destroyed in World War II.

Frank and his wife were divorced in 1960. He joined the LDS Church in 1967, and became an elder. Later in his life, he moved to Malad, Idaho, to be with part of his family. Frank enjoyed helping other people, traveling, and seeing different cultures.

Frank is survived by his two sons, Roger Knutsen of Seattle, Washington, and Byron Knutsen of Malad, Idaho; a daughter, Sheila Speaks (by a second marriage), of Springfield, Ohio; four grandchildren, Lara Holt, Felila Harrison and Erik Knutsen of Logan, Utah, and Nathan Knutsen of Malad, Idaho; and four great-grandchildren
Scotty, Buddy, and Brandon Holt, and Blake Harrison.

A private family funeral service will be held in the Benson-Horsley Funeral Home, Malad, on Thursday afternoon.