Toccoa Knapp

Toccoa was the beloved daughter of the late Wayne and Rosa Baker; loving wife of the late William G. Knapp; devoted mother of Ilene J. Fields and the late Roy W. Knapp; cherished grandmother of David S. Knapp; dear aunt of Russell (Nelda) Baker, Louis (Leslie) Baker, Annette (Mark) Letko, Joanne (Joe) Hunter, Kathy (Vince) Michalak, Joan (Jeff) Griffith, Michael Fazekas, John Fazekas, and Mark Fazekas. She is also survived by many other extended family members and dear friends. Toccoa is also preceded in death by her son-in-law, Danny Fields; siblings, Russell Baker, Harold Baker, Charles Baker, Jacob (Elois) Baker, Everett (Rosemary) Baker, Gracie Blanton, Willie Baker, and Nona (Frank) Fazekas; and nieces, Bobbie Louise (Leroy) Copeland and Betty Jo (Carl) Johnston.

Toccoa was born on March 11, 1918 in Johnston County, Oklahoma. After her father passed away, she went to live at the Carmen IOOF Odd Fellows Orphan Home in Oklahoma. She graduated from high school and went to college at the Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, where she played in the band and learned how to play the Baritone Sax, violin, and piano. She also loved to sing. She found out she was hearing impaired when she took a short-hand class and couldn’t make sense of what she wrote. From college, she went to live with an older brother in Texas. Soon a special friend from college sent her bus tickets to come to St. Louis, MO where she worked at Central Electric. She eventually married this special friend and became Toccoa Peters. This marriage lasted 8 years, until her husband passed away. She lived next door to the Knapps in Wellston, MO and this is where she met Bill. They were married on October 29th, 1948. Toccoa said that the happiest moment in her life was when she became a mother. She had two children, Ilene and Roy. She then became a housewife and lived in a new exclusive subdivision called Skyvue Acres in Florissant. She learned how to drive a car, got her license, and took up keypunch at the Community College. When Bill retired, they headed south to Muskogee and Quinton, Oklahoma where they lived until 1980. When her grandson, David, was born in 1980 she had another role to take happiness from, becoming a grandmother. She spent a lot of time doing crochet and knitting and even attempting to make a quilt. In 1983, Bill and Tobie (as she was called) moved to Piedmont, MO where she lived until December of 2016, when her daughter, Ilene, moved her to St. Louis County to be closer to her. She spent those last few months doing word search puzzles and spending time with her family. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Memorial donations may be made in Toccoa’s name to American Cancer Society.