Mary Alice Knittig

Mary Alice Knittig, 88, of Lavaca, Arkansas, left this world to be with her Lord and Savior on February 19, 2025. Mary Alice was born on January 20, 1937 to the late John C. Schluterman and Louise A. (Sprick) Schluterman in Subiaco, Arkansas. She was a devout Catholic pursuing her walk with the Lord each day. She was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church (Fort Smith) and Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Charleston) as well as Catholic Daughters, the Mothers’ Society, and various other church organizations.

Mary Alice moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas in the early 1950s to begin work as an in-home cook for the Foster family. She met the love of her life and husband of 59 years, the late Charles Albert Knittig, soon after, and they began planting roots in the River Valley.

Mary Alice cooked for many families and catered countless weddings and celebrations over the years, filling stomachs and hearts along the way. No Cordon Bleu chef could compete with her cheese straws or cinnamon rolls. In many ways, she became a part of the families she cooked for while also raising her own. Her life’s work was being a homemaker, providing warmth and love to her husband, two sons, and daughter.

Mary Alice possessed a strong work ethic and along with her husband bought a farm in Lavaca, Arkansas where the couple raised beef cattle, tended the vegetable and flower gardens, and truly embodied the American Dream. She loved spending time outdoors enjoying the wildlife on the property, especially her hummingbirds and deer, and fishing with her grandchildren. She was truly her happiest under the southern sun. She loved her God, her family, her country, her polka, her ice cream, and her St. Louis Cardinals. Mary Alice has left imprints on the hearts of so many and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Albert Knittig; her brothers, Hubert Schluterman, Leonard Schluterman, Leo Schluterman, Richard Schluterman, and Jimmy Schluterman. Mary Alice is survived by her three children: Jerry Knittig (Billie), Mike Knittig (Connie), and Rosie DeLung (Brian) all of Fort Smith; five grandchildren, Michael Whitson (Tracy), Melissa Fretheim (Todd), Gregory DeLung, Colton Knittig (Kaylee), and Lynde Shults (Jarrod); eight great grandchildren, Story Viviano (Joey), Saylor Whitson, Michael and Connor Fretheim, Palmer and Presley Knittig, and Mary Beth Shults; and one great great grandchild, Whitson Viviano; and siblings, Irene Seiter of Fort Smith, Jeannette Frederick of Subiaco, Harold Schluterman (Alice) of Paris; and sister-in-law, Mary Jane Schluterman of Subiaco.

Honorary Pallbearers include: Michael Whitson, Colton Knittig, Gregory DeLung, Todd Fretheim, and Jarrod Shults.

Visitation will be 4:30 PM Sunday February 23, 2025, with Rosary to follow at 6:00 PM at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. The Funeral Mass will be 11:00 AM Monday February 24, 2025 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Charleston with burial to follow at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Charleston. Arrangements are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home.

The family of Mary Alice would like to thank all her loving in-home caregivers as well as those at Greenhurst Nursing Center and the Heart of Hospice.

Memorial contributions in honor of Mary Alice Knittig can be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 18 Prairie Street, Charleston, Arkansas 72933.

Mary Alice gave us all 88 years of love and laughter. We are all so fortunate that God gave us as much time with her as he did. She was known to many for her delicious Cheese straws or cinnamon rolls but to her family she was just Grandma.

Born in 1937, the youngest girl of all her siblings, she grew up in a house rich in love but not what you would call wealthy in many other regards. Grandma worked hard to rise above her given station in life through faith, family and food.

She left her hometown of Subiaco in the early 1950s to pursue what would become a life’s long work of cooking and catering in the Fort Smith River Valley. Shortly after moving to Ft. Smith she reconnected with her future husband Charles. Grandma was working for the M.E. Foster family as a live in cook at the time and Charles had just returned home from Korea to work for the Dr. Pepper company. The two of them had met at a church dance in Morrison’s bluff, which was very fitting given the role the Catholic Church would play in the rest of their lives. The two were married in the early summer of 1956 and began planting roots here in the River Valley soon after. Mary Alice and Charles spent the next 59 years building houses and cooking meals for themselves and many others in town whilst raising two sons and one perfect daughter, my mom.

Grandma cooked meals for many families for the next 60 years, and in doing so she became a part of them in many ways. I distinctly remember, on several occasions growing up, I would be walking into different friends houses to play only to discover my grandma standing there, surrounded by the intoxicating smells of whatever she was baking or cooking. I was always happy to see her standing there but also a little jealous that I had to share my grandma with other families, but fortunately, just like her cooking there was always plenty to go around. One of her other many talents was selling girl scout cookies and boy scout popcorn to people at church and the families she cooked for. This is a testament to how good her cooking was as no one was willing to say no to and risk her getting to busy to make any more food.

She was one of the most selfless humans I have ever known never hesitating to give out a prized recipe or her time. She volunteered much of her it to St. Boniface Church filling so many bellies at various events over the years it would be impossible to count.

Mary Alice’s real life’s passion was being a mother and homemaker to her husband and three children. Some of my earliest memories were playing with my sister and cousins at their first farm, which was in the middle of Fort Smith. I think my grandfather was setting the stage for his master plan of moving to the country for retirement. The two of them bought a piece of property east of Lavaca where they raised cattle, tended their garden and cultivated memories with their kids and grandkids. Mary Alice’s happiest days were spent with Charles on their porch enjoying the wildlife, especially her favorite hummingbirds; they truly embodied the American Dream.

I’ve always loved the Hemingway quote about death, he says “Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways, men can be immortal.” Mary Alice holds a special place in the hearts of so many and if Mr. Hemingway is correct it will certainly be a long time before her name is forgotten.