KNELSEN - Peter was born September 9, 1931, to Peter J. and Aganetha (Fehr) Knelsen and raised on the family farm west of Blumenhof. He achieved his grade 10 at Balfour school. While still a teenager, he moved to B. C. where he worked on the 101 Ranch and in the Kamloops area for a number of years. Later he became a logger and with his skills as a sawyer he was often called to fight forest fires. In the early fifties, Peter came back to Vanguard, SK, where he was employed by Burton's Road Construction. While living in Vanguard he also worked as a grain buyer and later at Henderson's Hardware. Peter developed a developed a debilitating illness in the early sixties. He moved to Saskatoon in 1964 and trained as an orderly, working at the University Hospital. It was there that he met Karen Kohlert, a recent RN graduate. They were married in 1966. Their daughter, Leanne, was born in 1968, and a son, Richard, joined the family in 1972. In 1971, he required both hips to be replaced because of his arthritis. This procedure was only the fifth one of this type to be performed in Saskatchewan. It was thought at the time that these artificial joints would last no longer than five to ten years. Peter was fortunate that in his case they remained functional for the rest of his life. During his recovery he studied and obtained his grade 12 and then went on to U of S to get his Bachelor of Science Degree with honors. He then taught biochemistry at the U of S and remained in that field until his retirement in 1993. Peter never let his disability change his outlook on life and lived life to the fullest. He was an avid chess player and in his early years played provincially via mail. He loved the opera, loved to cook, and loved to read. He enjoyed playing cards with his friends and looked forward every year to summers spent at Wakaw Lake. Following his retirement, Peter was active in many activities including volunteering for READ Saskatoon which brought great joy to him. More recently he enjoyed a weekly trip to Borden to participate in a bowling league. Peter and Karen traveled extensively, having been across Canada and to places like California, Cuba, Cook Islands, Florida, Hawaii and several other destinations. Peter had eye surgery in New York in 2007 and made a holiday of his time there. Peter died January 14, 2009, following a short illness, at age 77. He was predeceased by his mother in 1946, father in 1975, and step-mother in 1972; three brothers, Jacob in 1979, Joseph in 1997, and Andy in 2000. Peter was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, a cherished brother and a loyal friend. He will be lovingly remember by Karen, his wife of 43 years; daughter, Leanne Makutra of Edmonton and granddaughters, Mikylah, Rylee and Kianna; son, Rick (Pam) of Saskatoon and grandchildren Logan and Brenna; sister, Maryanne (Les) Bayliss of Pennant, SK; brother, John (Barb) of Fruitvale, BC; sister-in-law, Dianne (Vern) Sylvester of Borden, SK; brother-in-law, Ron (Lee) Kohlert of Millet, AB; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Peter will always be remembered for his determination, compassion and love of family and of life. A memorial service was held on January 17, 2009, at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Saskatoon. Arrangements in care of Martens Warman Funeral Home, 934-4888.