Rodella was born the second of twins to Rudolf and Mable (Russell) Mantei on August 11, 1922 at home in Fortuna, North Dakota. Her grandmother Mantie was their mid-wife). Rodella attended school up to 8th grade in Fortuna and attended High School in Williston where she graduated.
Rodella married Carl Elmer Knutson in 1941. They moved to the west coast (Seattle) where Carl worked as a welder on warships. After the war in 1945 they moved back to North Dakota to farm on Carl’s family’s land and lived there until 1959. In 1959 they moved back to Bellevue, WA and they remained there until Carl’s death in 1974. Rodella worked in a number of bakeries before going to BCC for business courses. She got a job at Rainier Bank (now Bank of America) from which she retired after 15years at age 65.
After retirement, Rodella enjoyed helping raise her grandchildren, making dolls, collecting things, knitting, crocheting and traveling by Cruise Ship. She was a member of the Pilgrim Lutheran Church and VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 2995.
Rodella was preceded in death by her husband, Carl; her parents, Rudy and Mable; twin sister, Ramona Alberts-Thompson; sisters, Lorna Torgerson and Dolores Wehreman; brothers, Rudy and Leonard Mantei; and several nieces and nephews.
She is survived by her son, Alan (Joanna) Knutson of Chandler, AZ; daughter, Caren Knight of Bellevue, WA; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and lots of nieces and nephews.
Della, as she was known to her family, was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend to many and she will be greatly missed.
A Celebration of Rodella’s Life will be held at Sunset Hills Funeral Home in Bellevue, WA on Monday, September 23, 2019 at 1:00pm with a Graveside Service following at Sunset Hills Memorial Park.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.8.18