Winifred McKnight

Winifred L. McKnight, age 85, entered Eternal Life on Sunday, June 4, 2017. She was born Sept. 7, 1931 in Tulsa, OK to the late Herman and Opal (Caffey) Bransford. She lived in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the 1930's. Her family moved to Long Beach, CA to get away from the dust bowl, but she never forgot her Oklahoma roots. She returned to Oklahoma every summer to visit her special cousin, Jim Boy. She was a candy striper during her high school years. She graduated from Polytechnic High School in 1949. In 1950, she married Thomas A. McKnight. Winny was primarily a homemaker, raising 3 children while Thomas was in the military. She enjoyed reading, watching John Wayne movies, and anything to do with Gone With the Wind. When she was 40, she went to college to become a nurse. Upon her graduation, she spent most of her career at St. Nicholas Hospital and a group home caring for the residents. She loved animals and children as they were the most vulnerable. Her love of children led her to become a foster grandmother with the Sheboygan School District. Winny would like to be remembered as responsible and to never give up.
Winny is survived by her 4 children: Linda A. (Michael) Batt of Sheboygan, Thomas L. (Jean) McKnight of Baku, Azerbaijan, David P. (Cheryl) McKnight of Sheboygan, and Debra Amweg; 4 grandchildren: very special granddaughter, Andrea Batt, Katherine McKnight, Jacob McKnight and Lucas McKnight.
Winny was preceded in death by her parents.
Family and friends may visit at Fountain Park United Methodist Church, 828 Erie Ave, Sheboygan, on Saturday, June 10, 2017 from 10 a.m. until the time of her Celebration of Life at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial will be established in Winny's name.
She had many trials to bear and she was the strongest woman we knew.
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.