Ada R McKnight

STOUGHTON- Ada McKnight, age 98, died on Thursday, April 9, 2009 at the Skaalen Home in Stoughton. Ada was born in Gays Mills, WI in 1911. She married Clarence McKnight in 1929 and gave birth to three sons: Ronald, Donn, and Brian.
She taught rural school in 1928 for one year before marriage and returned to teaching in 1943 when there was a shortage of teachers due to WWII. She taught rural schools in Crawford County until 1955 when she moved to Stoughton, WI. There she taught 4^th grade until retirement in 1976.
As a young farmer's wife, Ada milked cows, helped in the field, grew a large garden, canned up to 800 quarts of vegetables and fruits a year, and raised three sons. She also taught school for much of that time.
Ada had many hobbies and talents. She did oil paintings, developed a mini business with fancy pillows which she sold, and was a passionate gardener of both vegetables and flowers. However, her biggest passion was writing. She published her first poem at seventeen and continued writing until ninety years old. She published poems, short stories and reminiscences about growing up in the Kickapoo Valley. She also was called upon regularly to write poems as tributes to retiring teachers. Many of her writings were published in newspapers, including the Wisconsin State Journal and the Crawford County Independent. She received numerous awards for her stories, including 3^rd place among 714 entrants in the Yarns of Yesterday contest. She studied for many years under Robert Gard and others of the University of Wisconsin Extension. Her writings were also published in several books.
Ada is survived by her three sons, Ronald, Donn (Irene), and Brian (Carole) as well as grandchildren Scott, Kevin, Jeff, David, Karen, Jani, Jennifer, Jenean, and Jodi, and numerous great grandchildren.
A service celebrating Ada's life will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 11:00 am at the Skaalen Home Chapel 400 N. Morris St. Stoughton with Rev. James Koza officiating. Burial will be in Gays Mills Cemetery. Friends may call from 10:30 am until time of service at the Skaalen Home Chapel.