Clair Knudson, 87

A Memorial Service for Clair Knudson of Warroad will take place Friday, October 27, 2023, at Zion Lutheran Church in Warroad at 10:00 a.m., with a visitation an hour prior. Interment will take place at Fairview Cemetery.

Clair L. Knudson, 87, passed away peacefully on October 14, 2023, at his daughter’s home, with his family by his side, in Lake Park, MN after a three month battle with cancer.

He was born with a midwife in attendance to Orrell and Anna (Landin) Knudson on April 21, 1936, in Swift, MN. His father died in a hunting accident in 1945. His mother then married Randolph Knudson in 1953, and they became a family of 11. Clair attended school in Swift for grades 1-6, Roosevelt for 7th and 8th grades, and went on to high school in Warroad, graduating in 1954. Clair and LaVonne Lundemo were married on Christmas Day 1955 at Spruce Lutheran in Roseau, MN.

Clair was a shoe sales manager in Minneapolis for six years until he and LaVonne moved to Warroad in 1962, where they live today. They started their farming operation, “Hard Rock Dairy” which continued until his retirement in 2008. They both worked at Marvin Windows for a few years when they first started out just to make ends meet.

Clair was a member of Zion Lutheran church and was a board member on many agriculture associations over the years. In 1978, Clair and LaVonne were selected “Honored Dairyman Couple” for Roseau County. In 2018, they were selected Farm Family of the Year for Roseau County. Clair loved the farm and everything it had to offer. A fond memory from the farm was that every year, the kindergarten class came to visit the farm and one student asked, “Which cows give chocolate milk?”.

After his retirement, Clair turned into an avid baker and gardener. He spent endless hours in the garden during the summer, and in the fall, he spent many hours canning all the produce to enjoy all winter long. Clair loved spending time with family, friends, kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. There was always lots of food, and the coffee pot and goodies were always abundant.

Clair and LaVonne loved to attend the grandkids’ sporting events and activities over the years. There was never a dull moment. Clair loved to travel after his retirement. Making RV trips with the kids, cruising on ships, and many special trips to Norway to visit relatives and Hawaii were just a few. Deer hunting was also something Clair enjoyed. In November of 2018, he finally shot the buck of his dreams… he was pretty proud of that one.

Clair is survived by his wife Lavonne Knudson, children Joe, Pam, Angie (Jon), and Jonathan (Kim). Grandchildren Lars (Sarah), Adam (Roxanne), Mason, Joel, Jade, Cooper, Nelson and Tayanna. Great-grandchildren Dennis, Anna; Natalie and David (Lars); Kaylynn; Easton and Quinley (Adam).

Clair is preceded in death by his parents, Anna, Randolph, and Orrell; siblings Floyd; LaVern Ann and Roger Norman; Janet and Jack Mairs, Doris Knudson/Basso; and son-in-law Jim Lee (Pam).