Anne Elizabeth Knudten Obituary in Ankeny at Memorial Services of Iowa

Obituary For Anne Elizabeth Knudten

Anne Elizabeth Knudten, 83, of Ankeny, Iowa, passed away on October 16, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.

A funeral service will be held at 11:30 am on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 517 SW Des Moines St, Ankeny, IA 50023. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am, prior to the funeral.

Anne was born on April 6, 1943, in Houston, TX, to parents John and Esther Locher. She moved to Cedar Rapids, IA, as a child and later met the love of her life, Herbert J. Knudten, Jr. She graduated from Regis High School and earned an English degree from St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. She worked as a teacher, as Executive Director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids, and for 13 years as a devoted “pastor’s wife” at Trinity Lutheran Church in Malcom, and St. John Lutheran Church in Tama, Iowa.

Anne and Herb married on August 14, 1965, and cherished each of their 57 years together. Together, they raised three children, Caroline, Barb and Bill, actively supporting them in their endeavors. Anne was a pillar of strength for her family through multiple cancer diagnoses, Caroline’s passing, Herb’s kidney disease and eventually, Alzheimer’s and his passing. She fought Parkinson’s Disease for over 18 years with grace and dignity.

Anne lived a life filled with kindness and of service to others. Her family was always told that their mom was “the nicest person ever”, “a saint”, “the kindest person” and more. All are correct. In Anne’s mind, there was never an excuse to be unkind. She spent her final 10 months at Story Point Assisted Living in Ankeny. As Anne started hospice in the last week of her life, we encountered a steady stream of residents, aides, nurses, hairdressers and housekeepers that knocked on her door and asked if they could see her one more time. Some cheated and stopped again. The majority of the visits weren’t just “we’re thinking about you” or “we’re praying for you”. They were people, in tears, saying “I love you, Anne”. That was the impact made in 10 months by a Parkinson’s-slowed 83-year-old with a faint voice and a smile for all. Well done, Anne.

Anne is survived by her daughter, Barb Knudten; son, Bill (Brooke) Knudten; son-in-law, Bill Godfrey; grandchildren, Andrew (Megan), Kathryn (Peter), Matthew (Reiley), Luke (Rachel), Nick, Joey, Kylie (Lucas), Caitlin and Izzy; seven great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Laura Locher; niece; five nephews; and “borrowed son”, Clint Lunden.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brother, John F. Locher; sister-in-law, Cherrill Cizewski; and daughter, Caroline K. Godfrey.

Memorial gifts may be directed to The Alex and Ali Foundation (https://www.thealexandalifoundation.com/), in support of young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.

The family would like to give special thanks to the wonderful staff at StoryPoint Ankeny for taking excellent care of Anne this year. They would also like to thank the saints from St. Croix Hospice for your help getting Anne “home”.

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