Elaine Dora Knopp
April 8, 1925 - September 22, 2017
Obituary
Elaine Dora Knopp, age 92, passed away on September 22, 2017 in Des Moines, Washington at Stafford Health Care where she lived the past 11 years.
Elaine was born April 8, 1925 in Winona, Minnesota to Carl and Dora Kloetzke and had one brother, Arnold. All preceded her in passing.
Elaine met Ken Knopp during her high school years. They married in 1942 in Seattle where Ken worked for Boeing. They were blessed with 3 children – Judy, Steven and Laird, and settled in a home in West Seattle where Elaine lived until Ken’s passing in 1999. They were married 57 years.
While raising their family, Elaine was active in West Seattle schools and Hope Lutheran Church. As a family they enjoyed boating with Seattle Yacht Club, skiing with Sahalie Ski Club, travel via road trips through out the US, and annual pheasant hunting trips to the Imbert farm in Warden Washington.
Elaine worked a night shift for many years, cleaning office buildings in downtown Seattle, until Ken retired from Boeing. She told many great stories of the colorful people she encountered at work and on the streets of Seattle, and taught her children to be “street smart”.
When the season for road trips had passed, Ken and Elaine became season ticket holders to the Cirque Dinner Theatre and to Travel Logs at the Seattle Center …always with extra tickets to share with family and friends. They enjoyed annual trips to Vancouver Island in British Columbia where they camped in their motor home, caught their limit of salmon and canned the fish in their campsite.
Elaine was a devoted daughter, who following the passing of her mother provided a home for her father until his passing. She loved to tell stories from her past, complete with a German accent when appropriate. She also loved to cook, shop, play cards, and visit with family and friends. Elaine was a warm, caring, generous soul with a joyful laugh, and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by her three children Judy, Steven and Laird, 7 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
