Frances B. Knudson (Amarant) died peacefully in her sleep at her daughters side March 16, 2007, after a lengthy illness.
Born in Turlock in 1938, Ms. Amarant moved with her family in 1942 to Vallejo, where she completed her schooling and graduated from Vallejo High School in 1956. Ms. Amarant worked for Pacific Telephone in Sacramento before marrying Vallejos Kermit Knudson Jr. in 1964. The couple and their daughter moved to Tahoe City and Susanville before settling in Lakeport in 1977. The couple enjoyed riding motorcycles with a local riding club, the Clear Lake Road Riders, and square danced regularly with a local square dancing club.
Ms. Knudson retired after 23 years of service for Pacific Telephone and was one of the Companys last telephone operators, closing down the last functional switchboard in Lakeport in 1984.
Active in many local community activities, Ms. Knudson was recognized for her volunteer work. She committed more than 3000 hours of volunteer work for the local chapter of telephone company retirees, the Telephone Pioneers, for whom she was Treasurer. Her years of service in the Pioneers included the tedious construction of hundreds if not thousands of Christmas stockings for disadvantaged residents. For many years, Ms. Knudson was a volunteer caretaker for much of the landscaping at the Lake County Fairgrounds, and for those efforts she earned Volunteer of the Year recognition in 1994. Ms. Knudson also assisted in the regular cleaning of Lakeports St. Mary Immaculate Church where she was an active parishioner. Weekly, Ms. Knudson volunteered her time at the Lakeport Senior Center where she assisted in the provision of meals to local seniors. Always giving of her time, she regularly did pet sitting for friends and neighbors and often provided transportation around town to friends and neighbors in need.
Ms. Knudson loved to laugh and lived retired life to its fullest. She developed many friendships through her volunteer activities and maintained them as best she could until she passed on. She enjoyed line dancing with the Sizzling Senior Moments line dancing group at the senior center and was very active in the local TOPS chapter where she maintained KOPS designation and served the group as weight recorder. Ms. Knudson loved rubber stamping and often stamped with friends who had similar interests.
Ms. Knudson was preceded in death by her parents, Anna and Antone Amarant and by siblings, Albert and Carl Amarant and Bernice Borges. She is survived by daughter, Kandace Knudson, of Sacramento; brothers, Patrick Amarant of American Canyon and John Amarant of San Francisco; former husband, Kermit Knudson Jr. of Lakeport; sister-in-law, Alice Amarant of Arcata; and several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of the life of Frances Knudson will take place at 1 p.m. at the Junior Horsemens Building at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 14. Following the celebration, her family will attend 5 p.m. Mass at St. Mary Immaculate church. Her cremains will be laid to rest at Tulocay Cemetery in Napa.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Lake County Hospice at (707) 263-6222 or Clear Lake Animal Welfare Society (707) 994-9505.
Read more about Ms. Knudson at www.ourstory.com/auntfrances.
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(Published in the Record-Bee on Thursday, March 29, 2007.)
