James E. (Jim) Knott, of Carroll, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll. He was 94.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at St. John Paul II Parish-St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Carroll with Fr. Patrick Behm as Celebrant. Music for the Mass will be by Jane Heithoff and Kathleen Macke. Gift bearers will be Austin Knott, Jessica Pottebaum, Emily Knott, and Katherine Knott. Casket bearers will be Nick Wilkins, Brett Wilkins, Tanner Wilkins, Joe Pottebaum, Jonathan Cooper, Jeff Cooper, Max Knott, James Knott, and Dylan Knott. Eucharistic Minister will be Michael Osterberg. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery with military honors conducted by the Carroll American Legion.
Visitation will be held at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, from 5–7 P.M. where there will be a Rosary at 7:00 P.M. The casket will be moved to St. Lawrence Church at 9:15 A.M. on Thursday, where visitation will resume until 10:15 A.M. prior to the service.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com.
Jim was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life, mostly within the confines of small-town Iowa, which he treasured. He could be cantankerous, funny, sarcastic, and serious all at once. A voracious reader who was not above watching “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Blue Bloods” on TV, he constantly asked his children, “What do you think?” and taught his grandchildren that even if things weren’t perfect, one must always search for common ground.
He taught thousands of students to think for themselves and left them with lifelong memories and confidence to “be themselves.” Yet his proudest achievement was the family he and his beloved wife Marge built together.
Jim was born on February 21, 1930, in Denison, Iowa, the son of Edward E. “Bud” and Grace Annunciata (Eggers) Knott. He grew up in the Great Depression, in a house between the railroad tracks and the Lincoln Highway. Folks down on their luck who hitched rides on the train often came to the family door asking if they could work for a meal. This experience nurtured in Jim a dose of Irish empathy for struggles in life beyond his own. Third-born among siblings Terry, Gerriann, and Bill, he attended grade school and high school in Denison, participating in several sports (Go Monarchs). Later, he loved to take his kids on tours of Denison, pointing out where a legendary homerun he hit had landed, with an eyeroll from Marge for good measure.
At the age of 9, Jim made his First Communion at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Denison, along with a girl named Marjorie Joan Walde, whom he would marry in that same church years later, on December 29, 1953.
He became an avid reader because his father read to him at Washington Park in Denison. Known as “Diamond Jim” in high school, he challenged authority while at the same time acquiring a deep, enduring respect for the value of education.
Jim served in the United States Air Force in Alaska for three years as a radar expert, and then he and Marge lived in Nashua, New Hampshire, while Jim completed his service. The couple moved to Storm Lake, Iowa, where she continued her career as a Registered Nurse at the Storm Lake hospital, and he majored in education at Buena Vista College, with Marge’s encouragement and support.
In 1961, Jim and Marge moved to Carroll, Iowa, where they launched careers that spanned over 60 years, changing the lives of citizens from all walks of life, Jim as a teacher, Marge as a nurse.
Along the way, the family grew to seven: James (Bud), Lori, Brad, Jeff, Ketsie, Doug, and Jennifer.
Mr. Knott was head of the English Department at Carroll High School, teaching English, literature, humanities, speech, mock trial, and drama from 1962-1987. He was hired as dean of the Carroll Campus of Des Moines Area Community College on July 1,1988. He served as dean and later provost until June 30, 2006. He also taught evening classes at DMACC. He served on the DMACC Board of Trustees from 2006-2022. He was especially proud to help mentor current DMACC provost, Joel Lundstrom, who became a valued friend. Another close friend was Bob Sterns, a fellow teacher and teacher union ally. In addition to their daily coffees, Bob and Jim loved tinkering with cars.
The Commons area in the new DMACC wing on the Carroll campus is named after Jim and Marge as a testimonial to his contributions and Marge’s impact and dedication to the nursing community in Carroll.
The man forever called “Mr. Knott” by his students had a gift for knowing when a person needed a boost or nudge and used his great wit and empathy to deliver it; one of the many traits that made him a master educator and favorite teacher. Many students stayed in touch with him years after graduating.
Decades before it was a mainstream educational philosophy, Jim Knott believed every student had talent and potential; and it was his job to mine these. One of his most powerful tools was putting kids who might be struggling on stage or in a speech contest event, showing them they were capable of unexpected audacious excellence. He understood the precise balance between teasing and encouragement, using both to steer scores of students to success.
His contributions to his community, along with the dozens of accolades he garnered for such, were monumental, but love for his family outweighed all.
Jim and Marge were best friends, for 80 years. They were a team, a strong example for their children and grandchildren. Humor and respect were two ingredients for their enduring love story. They made time for each other, talking about their days and the books they were reading, long after dark each night. When Marge worked nights, Jim fed the family and picked her up at the end of her shift. The trauma of losing their oldest son Bud in a car accident in 1981 softened Jim’s edges and deeply ingrained the importance of family. He found the grace to shelter each child during their grief, though their ages varied. None of them ever felt unloved, or uncared for, or in need.
Jim delighted in “holding court” while telling stories to his grandchildren, about the war, about his childhood, and what he was reading. He told them about the nights he was stationed in Alaska, and heard WHO radio from Des Moines, which awed him. He always asked them what they were reading. To them, he was all about books, the St. Louis Cardinals, Notre Dame football, rides in the DMACC car, one-liners, his incredible way of imparting wisdom without telling them what to do, his integrity, his love for Marge, and the importance of being a Democrat. He encouraged them with a strong hug and a quick “dammit” to let them know he was serious. He was proud of each of them and made them feel loved and special. His great-grandchildren called him “Grandpa Grape” aka Grandpa Great.
He’ll be missed more than he ever could have imagined.
Jim is survived by his children: Lori Cooper (Fred) of Tempe, AZ, Bradley Knott (Kimberly) of Kensington, MD, Jeffrey Knott (Keri) of Aurora, CO, Colette “Ketsie” Wilkins (fiancé Mike Osterberg) of Urbandale, IA, Douglas Knott (Carol) of Grafton, WI, and Jennifer Pottebaum (David) of Carroll; fourteen grandchildren: Jonathan “JJ” Cooper (Jenna), Jeffrey Cooper (Kathryn), Nick Wilkins (Shannon), Brett Wilkins, Tanner Wilkins, Joey Pottebaum, Jessica Pottebaum, Austin Knott, Peter “Max” Knott, Emily Knott, Katherine Knott, Dylan Knott, James Knott, and Darren Knott; six great-grandchildren: Declan and Maeve Wilkins, Logan and Theodore Cooper, and Jackson and Elliott Cooper; and his sister-in-law, Kathleen Mason (Bob) of Powell, WY; and several nieces and nephews.
Jim was preceded in death by his wife Marge in 2019; parents Bud and Grace Knott; two brothers: Bill (Leann) Knott and Terry (Georgina) Knott; one sister: Gerriann (Chet) Kozak; his mother and father-in-law, Max and Alice Walde; sister-in-law Maxine Walde; two brothers-in-law: Jim and Jack Walde; uncles and aunts; and his son James “Bud” Knott in 1981.
The family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of sympathy from the community. Please direct donations to the Knott family; and designations will be made by them later.
