Mavis Knutt

Mavis Joan Knutt, a dedicated nurse and beloved matriarch, entered her heavenly home on November 25, 2025, at the Frazee Care Center in Frazee, Minnesota. She was 92 years old and passed peacefully, held in assurance of her Christian faith.

Born in Pettibone, North Dakota in 1933, to Clifford and Tillie (Hinger) Gunderson, Mavis grew up among the lakes and pines of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, graduating from Detroit Lakes High School in 1951. She pursued her calling to care for others, obtaining a degree from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Fargo, ND, and serving many years as a Registered Nurse.

While working at St. Luke’s, Mavis cared for a young patient named Raymond “Ray” Gjervold. They had an immediate connection that blossomed into a romance, and they were married on October 9, 1954. Mavis and Ray were blessed with three daughters—Linda, Holly, and Heidi—before Ray’s tragic passing in 1961.

Mavis was blessed with a loving bond once more when she met Duane Knutt, and the two were married on May 5, 1962. The family grew with the arrival of Laura, and in 1968, the family moved to Rocklake, North Dakota, where they joined Duane’s family in managing the Knutt farm and equipment business. Soon thereafter, Penny was born, completing a lively household of five girls.

After raising her family, Mavis returned to nursing, working for many years with Towner County Home Health. She became a committed advocate for seniors, offering not just medical care but serving her patients with dignity and compassion.

The couple eventually retired in Minnesota to be closer to their growing family. Following Duane’s passing in 2019, Mavis returned to Detroit Lakes – the landscape of her youth—to spend her final years surrounded by familiar beauty, treasured memories, and the loving care of her family.

Mavis delighted in the beauty of God’s creation, finding joy in the birds and creatures that visited her windows. She enjoyed great food and loved to spend her time watching cooking channels and reading cookbooks. Her radiant smile and joyful laugh brightened every room--especially when spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her rich alto voice, often lifted in song at church, became a cherished part of her family’s memories. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of her family, and all who were blessed by her caring spirit.

Mavis was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 57 years, Duane Knutt; her first husband, Raymond Gjervold; her parents; her brother, Noel Gunderson; and several extended members from the Knutt, Gunderson, and Gjervold families, whom she often remembered with great affection.

She is lovingly remembered by her daughters and sons-in-law: Linda (Charles) Block, Holly (Barrett) Warren, Heidi (Patrick) Brune, Laura (Lane) Stave, and Penny (Elliott) Knutt-Meier; as well as her sister, Dolly (David) Andersen. She was the proud grandmother of Jessica (Ryan) Tolley, David (Ashley) Heller, Josh Barr, Drew (Aly) Barr, Samantha (Brandon) Greisen, Tyler (Melissa) Brune, Connor Brune, Jacob Stave, Kyla Stave, Tanner Stave, Maddie Meier, and Elliana Meier; and the delighted great-grandmother of Graham, Tillie, Logan, Maverick, Kennedy, Everly, Oaklyn, Scarlet, Remington, Macallan, and Magnolia.

A celebration of Mavis’s cherished life will be held, with details to be shared at a later time. Memorials preferred to the music fund at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 210 East Maple Ave., Frazee, MN 56544.