DaVon Glen Knackstedt

Beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away on May 20, 2023, surrounded by family. He was born in Wichita, Kansas to parents Delmer and Glennys (Joan) Knackstedt (deceased) of Windom, Kansas on April 18, 1952. He is survived by his wife Shirley and four children: Anna, Michael, Kris and Cody, and two grandchildren Onyx and Londyn. He is also survived by his brohter Cameron, nephews Nathan and Jason, two great nephews and a great niece, other family and many friends. 

DaVon attened Prairie Vista Elementary School in Windom, Kansas and Middle and High School in McPherson, Kansas. He graduated from McPherson High School in 1970. He attended Kansas State University and graduated in 1974 with a degree in Geography and Environmental Studies and avidly continued to watch K-States football games. He married Shirley on January 5, 1985 and their love endured. He farmed with his parents from 1974 to 1986. He graduated from Fort Hays State University Nursing Program in 1990 and wanted to 'serve the underserved' so he went to work for the Indian Health Service at Chinle, Arizona on the Navajo Nation. He returned to college once more and received a Master's Degree in Nursing and became a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). He still wanted to 'serve the underserved' and went to work at La Clinica del Pueblo de Rio Arriba in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico as part of the National Health Service Corp. He then worked for the University of New Mexico Hospital for 10 years and continued practicing as a FNP in New Mexico for 27 years.

DaVon was an incredibly hard worker and loved to be busy. He was never one to sit idle and became an incredible carpenter building a log cabin and remodeling a large home in Chama, New Mexico. His final 17 year project included building a large outdoor living area and remodeling a 200 year old double-terrone home, adobe guest house, guest casita and a pre-1937 Grapes of Wrath motel on the historic El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro in Los Ranchos, New Mexico. He loved being outdoors and planted a 1 acre back pasture in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque into a Kansas Tall Grass Prairie. He spent countless hours outdoors tending this bit of Kansas prairie and loved every minute of it.

Services will be held at Andover Lutheran Church in Windom, Kansas at a later date. He will be laid to rest at Andover Lutheran Church Cemetery next to his parents.