Dorothy May Knapp

Mrs. Dorothy May Knapp of Red Deer, Alberta passed away at Extendicare Michener Hill, Red Deer on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at the age of 80 years. Dorothy was born on April 8, 1939 in Bonnyville, Alberta. She was the seventh child born to Ernest and Elfleta Knapp, while they were living in the Iron River District, north of Bonnyville, Alberta. At the age of three, the family moved south of Erskine, Alberta to her great uncle, Bob Kennedy’s Ranch. When she turned eight, Dorothy started her formal schooling, joining her older siblings and her younger brother, David at the Ewing School. This involved a four mile trek each way, usually accomplished on horseback, something she did not enjoy at all due to her vision problems. In November 1949, at the age of ten, Dorothy and the family moved into the Village of Erskine. From there, her father’s job at the CNR took the family to various small Hamlets and Towns throughout Central Alberta, until finally settling in Elnora during the spring of 1958. This was home, until she and her mom went to live with her sister, Blanche, on a farm near Delburne. While living with Blanche, she had the opportunity do some RVing and traveling throughout Canada and the United States. Over the past ten years, Dorothy has called Extendicare Michener Hill home. At Michener, she enjoyed the various activities and always managed to nab some sort of prize from Bingo. During the day, one could often find her coloring or reading the newspaper at her desk. On Sundays, she faithfully attended Church at the Centre. Dorothy became an aunt at the young age of thirteen. From there, she was blessed with more nieces and nephews than one can count on two hands, and this did not include the numerous great nieces and nephews that were to follow. She had each one’s birthday not only marked down in her “Birthday Book” but also in her heart. She could recite a loved one’s birthdate and age by memory. Family and family gatherings were important to her. She enjoyed seeing friends or family, and delighted in hearing of family news. In fact, she was fortunate to attend a family get-together a week before her passing, while she was still in good health. Dorothy may have had many challenges throughout her life but you would never find her lamenting of her misfortunes. Instead, she accepted everything that came her way. She was not demanding and as long as she had her newspaper, (her life-line to the outside world) and her stuffies near at hand, she was a content soul. A Funeral Service will be held at the Elnora Community Church, Elnora, Alberta on Monday, March 9, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com.