Patricia Ann Knudsen

Patricia Ann Knudsen, daughter of J.C. "Jack" and Anna (Bringewatt) Roberts, was born August 3, 1938, in North Platte, Nebraska. She graduated third out of 181 in her class from North Platte High School in 1956. She was a member of the band in junior high and high school, playing first and second chair cornet. She graduated magna cum laude from Hastings College in 1960 while majoring in English and elementary education. While at Hastings she served as president of Alpha Chi Honorary Society and the International Relations Club. At Hastings College, she also met her future husband, Burton Andrew Knudsen. They became engaged Valentine's Day 1960 and married on June 4, 1961, at First Presbyterian Church of North Platte. Pat taught in several different schools throughout her 38-year teaching career. She taught third grade (1960-1961) in Cody Grade School, the same school she attended in North Platte as a youngster. After she married Burt in June 1961, they lived in Hastings, Nebraska, while Burt completed his senior year at Hasting's College. Pat taught kindergarten one-half day in two different elementary schools in the Hastings School District during the 1961-1962 school year. Upon Burt's graduation, the couple moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where Burt was enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary. During this time, Pat taught second grade at Lawrence Township Elementary school five miles from Princeton. Due to her excellent qualifications and a teacher shortage, she received five contracts in the mail sight unseen from districts near Princeton. Lawrence Township interviewed her only over the phone. In 1966, Burt was called to be pastor at the United Presbyterian Church of Central City, Nebraska, and starting in January of 1967, Pat was asked to teach a portion of a large first grade class. She followed the class into second grade the next year and continued teaching second grade until January 1973. In January 1973, Burt received a call to be pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Wahoo, Nebraska. Burt and Pat moved to Wahoo in mid-February. That summer, they purchased their home of 43 years. Pat began teaching for the Wahoo Public Schools the 1974-75 school year as a Title 1 teacher in the middle school. From the fall of 1976 until the spring of 1998, she taught kindergarten at West Ward Elementary in Wahoo. In the fall of 1998, she began teaching reading recovery three and one-half days per week before commuting to the University of Nebraska-Kearney for classes to become a reading recovery teacher leader. She retired from the school system in the spring of 2000. While teaching, she received a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 1993, completing her thesis entitled "Self-Esteem and Locus of Control." She earned an early childhood endorsement soon thereafter and also became certified as a Reading Recovery teacher leader through the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Pat was a member of both the Central City and Wahoo Presbyterian Churches, serving in several capacities, including as a member of the choirs, Mariners/Propellers, women's bible study, and the Presbyterian women. She was also a member of the Wahoo Chapter of PEO and a dual member of the Order of Eastern Star in Central City and North Bend, Nebraska. Throughout her life, she was a voracious reader of fiction and non-fiction, including current affairs, history, psychology, medicine, and a variety of other subjects. She enjoyed travelling throughout her life including visits to 49 of 50 states, the French Riviera, Denmark, and several of the Canadian Provinces. In retirement, she enjoyed water aerobics and continued her life-long enjoyment of travelling. She will be remembered as a deeply devoted wife and mother who was conscientiously dedicated to her students. Family and friends will miss her sweet nature, gentle disposition, dedication, courageous strength in adversity, and sense of humor. As a final act of service, she donated her body to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Viola Tompsen and Leora Prout. She is survived by her husband Rev. Dr. Burton Andrew Knudsen of Wahoo, her son Andrew Robert Knudsen of Washington, DC, her brother and sister-in-law Don and Dorothy Schmidt of North Platte, brother-in-law James Prout of Palm Bay, Florida and nephews and nieces. Memorials may be made to the Wahoo Public Library or First Presbyterian Church.