Phyllis M Knuth

Phyllis Mae Knuth (Otto) was born on January 9,1933 to George and Mildred Otto in Wahoo, NE. She lived her first 3 years on a farm south of Ithaca, NE. At age 3, her family moved to a farm southwest of Mead. She was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Ithaca on July 7, 1946. Phyllis graduated from Mead High School in 1950. After graduation, she worked at the FSA Office in Wahoo until 1953. She then worked for the State of Nebraska Department of Insurance until 1957.

On March 10, 1957, she married Donald Knuth at Zion Lutheran Church. The couple then moved to her childhood home and started farming. She helped Don on the farm, did all the farm bookkeeping, cooking, (taking many meals to the field during planting and harvest every year) and raising three children. They resided on the farm until November 2016 when they moved to Wahoo. When they moved, Phyllis had lived on this farm a total of 80 years. Phyllis moved to South Haven Living Center in January 2023 and resided there until her passing.

She was very involved with activities at First United Methodist Church, serving on a variety of committees. At the time of her death, she had been a member of the church for 66 years. She served on the scholarship committee for the Mead Educational Foundation for many years.

Phyllis and Don started square dancing lessons in 1970 and continued enjoying this activity until 1993. They enjoyed traveling and frequently went to Branson, Missouri, which was one of Phyllis’ favorite places to visit. Some of her other favorite activities included reading the paper, doing word search puzzles and watching Wheel of Fortune.

Phyllis is survived by her husband of 67 years, Donald Knuth; daughter Karen (Charles) Olson; sons Kevin Knuth and Kerry (Angela) Knuth; grandchildren Billy (Shane) Olson, Beth (Jon) Pulito, Becca Olson, Gregory Knuth and Garrison Knuth; great-grandchildren Chip Olson and Charlie Pulito and two great-granddaughters due to arrive in July and September. She is also survived by brother-in-law Merle (Elna) Knuth, sisters-in-law Margaret (Richard) Hoover and Doris (Wayne) Troyer; sisters-in-law Betty, Nancy and Wilma Knuth; cousins Delores Sirian, Clarice Hedrick, Marlin Otto and Gail Otto; many nieces and nephews.

Phyllis is preceded in death by parents; cousins Orville Lehman and Helen Lehman; brothers-in-law Lawrence, Gerald, Wilbur (Betty), Richard (Nancy) and Robert (Wilma) Knuth and nephew Lynn Knuth.

Visitation is Thursday, April 4 from 5-7 p.m. at Pruss-Nabity Funeral Home in Wahoo, NE. Funeral Service is Friday, April 5 at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Wahoo, NE. Interment – Sunrise Cemetery North. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church or Mead Educational Foundation.