Helen Wanda Knudsen

Helen Wanda (Schara) Knudsen of Scottsdale, Arizona, age 99, passed away on March 27, 2018. Helen was born October 21, 1918 in North Freedom, Wisconsin. Helen was one of 10 children, she moved to Madison when she was 10 years old.

She graduated from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing, Madison, Wisconsin, in 1939. While a student doing a rotation at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, she met her late husband Cedric Knudsen at a YMCA dance. When her training was over, she moved back to Madison and kept in contact with Cedric. Two years later they were married on February 22, 1941 and moved to Chicago. In 1962 they moved to Scottsdale, Arizona seeking warming weather. She continued working in the nursing field along with helping Cedric run the family business. In 1979, they discovered a summer retreat on the McKenzie River in Oregon. She spent 38 summers there enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery. She volunteered for several years at Abiding Savior's Thrift Shop called Shepard’s Warehouse. She picked citrus from residences with excess fruit to support local food banks. She even broke her leg at age 87 doing that. Helen was an avid quilter for many years. Her quilts were beautiful creations and were all hand stitched. She liked to read and do oil paintings. Helen loved to cook for her family and friends. When she was 95 years old her children told her, it was time to hang up her pots and pass the torch of cooking the Holiday meals to them.

Helen is survived by her four children, Carl Knudsen (Cathy), Steve Knudsen (Teri), Joan Zimmerman (Mel), and Peter Knudsen (Jeanette), eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Services will be held Friday, May 11, 2018 at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, 515 East Continental Drive, Tempe, Arizona at 1:00 p.m.