Virginia Dawn (Drake) McKnight (1931 - 2019)

Born 4 May 1931 in Clare, Michigan, USA

Ancestors

Wife of Frank Wesley McKnight — married 2 Jul 1950 in Houghton Lake, Michigan

Descendants

Died 23 Jan 2019 at age 87 in Alma, Gratiot, Michigan, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: David McKnight [send private message], Christine McKnight [send private message], April McKnight [send private message], and Amanda Dekker [send private message]

Obituary: MCKNIGHT, Virginia “Dawn” Age 87; of Rosebush died Thursday, Jan 23 (4:10 PM).

Dawn was born in Clare, MI, to Milford “Dale” and Crystal Lucile

She was mother to 8, a sister to 10, and a grandmother to 15. All will miss her very much.

Dawn was characteristic of a generation dedicated to hard work as primary to achieving life goals. She was an active living example, raising 8 children while earning a masters degree from CMU in education followed by career teaching positions at Coleman and Farwell schools. Dawn often proudly noting that all of her kids were hard workers without a nod to her own self example.

Dawn was grounded by a life connected to the earth. With husband Benny, who has passed two years earlier, they rooted their family on eighty acres in Rosebush that then loosely resembled a farm. Mornings arrived there with fresh smells from the fields, and afternoon breezes fanned trees shading their expanding house. Nights were filled out under starry skies with cricket crescendos and children’s shoes thumping along shadowy field-paths. Late into her life Dawn continued tending that earth which had since been gathered into a farm made splendid by her gardens which overgrew but did not replace childhood paths.

Understanding came to Dawn in the clearing opened by these lived experiences. Words were naturally forced onto the clearing in order to articulate things beyond her practical understandings. In words and language Dawn dedicated much of her life to bringing forward the meaningfulness of her lived experience. Her choice of education in library science likely presented her the best option at the time to nurture and grow within the opening. She became a teacher and voracious reader, always turning another page.

Dawn had a quick eye for completing jigsaw puzzles. First a border that framed possibilities. Then the back and forth of successes and failures. Learning the language of the puzzle shapes until the last piece fit snugly. Always a sad feeling, but also a celebration of accomplishment against a limit of life.

Dawn is survived by her children, Christine, Beth (Joe) Forrest, Scott McKnight, Pam McKnight, Cheryl (Mike) Davis, David (Tracy) McKnight, and April (Ben Bosworth);

Grandchildren, Stephanie, Ben, Jason, Mitch, Lydia, Michael, Robby, Steven, Shawn, Amanda, Amy, Michelle, Kellyn, Geena, and Calvin; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Siblings Mary Jo Ann, Dorothy Jean, William Dale, Ronald Daniel, Joseph Roger, Janice Diane, Linda Lucile, Celia Catherine, Allison Sue and Jane Ann.

Dawn was preceded in death by husband Frank Wesley Jr. and her eldest son, Frank Wesley “Lee” III, and parents Milford Dale and Crystal Lucile.

Our History at 8651 Shephard Road

Back in the early 1900's, Roger's farm was owned by Dad's Grandpa and Grandma Walters. When Gram pa Walters died Grandma Walters sold the farm and divided the money among the children. Dan and Grandma Walters bought the corner twenty and lived there. Dan also bought the twenty behind Mom and Dad's place and pastured sheep. He had access by way of a lane that ran west across from Roger's stone corner post.

Grandma and Grandpa Drake used their money to buy a farm at Herrick. They were to lose the land when soil proved too poor to make a living.

Aunt Carrie and Uncle Henry (Hales) bought the property where Mom and Dad now live. They lost the property later when Uncle Henry's lack of experience in farming caused the farm not to produce enough to pay the bills.

When dad was nineteen, he bought this piece of property for 00, paying down and 0 a year.

Grandpa Drake and Dad bought a piece of property located across from where the Haring's live on Nine Mile Road. The property had a house on it and after Mom and Dad were married Grandpa Drake moved the house to the location of their present house. Before that time, Mom and Dad rented the house on Nine Mile that Marguerite Morrison now live in.

Mom and Dad's farm also has a historical importance to Mom's side of the family. Her grandparents (Hayner) also lived there for a time during which her mother Celia, who was sixteen, worked as a waitress in Loomis.

Author: Dawn Drake McKnight- November 27, 1990