Elaine Joyce (Bauer) Knott, age 93 of Tracy, passed away Thursday, December 14, 2023 at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at Tracy Area Funeral Home in Tracy, with the visitation one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will be in the Walnut Grove Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Elaine Joyce (Bauer) Knott was born April 30, 1930 to John and Hazel Bauer at the family home on their farm located in Holly Township. She grew up on the farm helping her parents with outdoor chores and household responsibilities. She attended country school through eighth grade in a one room schoolhouse conveniently located on their property. She had to be a conscientious student because her family provided room and board for her succession of teachers! 4-H activities provided enjoyment and she earned a state fair trip! Elaine then attended Walnut Grove High School and graduated in 1948. In October of that same year, she married her high school sweetheart, Duane (Swede) Knott and moved to the family farm in Johnsonville Township. From that moment Elaine commenced a very busy life as a farm wife, mother, and farm bookkeeper. Elaine cooked and baked for family and hired men, did gardening and canning, raised chickens and sold eggs.
Fifty-four years on the farm, while rewarding, represented a lot of hard work for women and men of her generation and they had to face down setbacks and difficulties. She devoted a great deal of time and energy to her church and church family at the United Methodist Church in Walnut Grove.
Her faith was an important part of her life. She volunteered for the Tracy Hospital Auxiliary for many years. Her favorite pastimes included needlework and knitting, and as a couple they enjoyed card playing with neighbors and friends and dancing! She had fun selling Stanley Products for many years to friends and family. Elaine’s love language was gifts; she was forever assembling presents and offerings for others. She enjoyed telephone conversations and letter writing immensely! An unforgettable trip to New Zealand and Australia was a highlight in their lives. Elaine and Swede raised four children: Janet, Arlen, Brenda, and Krista. She enjoyed assisting their 4-H projects. She never was without a dog and loved them immensely. Elaine cared deeply for her aging relatives and provided them with much support in their later years.
Her home and table were the locale of countless family meals. In 2002, Elaine and Swede retired and moved into a home in Walnut Grove. Ten years later they relocated to Country View in Walnut Grove. Swede transferred to Prairie View in Tracy in 2012 and passed away in 2018. Elaine became a resident of Prairie View in the summer of 2019. She adapted well and enjoyed the many activities and the kind, helpful staff. A favorite pastime was bird watching out her window.
Elaine is survived by daughter Janet (Gary) Jacobs, son Arlen (Connie) Knott, and son-in-law Dick Christianson; seven grandchildren: Sarah Jacobs Nordell (Jeff), Laura Jacobs Phillips (David), John Jacobs (Leah), Abigail Knott Adkins (Casey), Spencer Knott (Sonya), Gustave Radcliffe (Hilary), and Emily Radcliffe; niece Margaret Burns and great nephew Tim Burns. Elaine was the proud great-grandmother to Brandon; Peyton and Molly; Ella, Lily, Eva, Michael, and Ford; Izaiah and Sienna; Miriam and Sadie. She is preceded in death by her husband Swede, daughters Brenda Radcliffe and Krista Christianson and brother LaVerne Bauer.
Blessed be her memory.