Illa M. Knoke's Obituary
Illa Mae (Hagen) Knoke age 93 of Waupaca, WI, passed away peacefully, after a short-illness, on Tuesday July 15, 2025 at Waupaca ThedaCare Hospital. Illa was born on March 12, 1932, in Dovre, Barron County, Wisconsin the daughter of Elmer and Edna Hagen.
She grew up in Milwaukee with three sisters and two brothers. During World War Il her father moved the family back to a farm in northern Wisconsin, to the Wittenberg area. Her father passed away shortly thereafter and her mother remarried. Her mother, Edna, had two more children and Illa as a young teen would have a vital role in raising them.
As a young woman she worked at a factory outside of Gresham, this is when she met her husband of 68 years, John F. Knoke. They only had a few dates before he was sent to serve in the Korean War where he was stationed stateside as a Marine in Florida. Illa and John wrote letters to each other for three years, which is how they grew to love each other. On May 29, 1954 Illa and John were married in Minneapolis, MN and together they raised six children and two grandchildren.
Illa was a homemaker in the true sense of the word and her family was the cornerstone of her life. She had many hobbies in her earlier years such as watercolor painting, ceramics, rosemaling, quilt making and she sewed many of her children's clothes. She also found the time to volunteer at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Waupaca. In addition, she worked at Bowlby's Candy shop and Normington's Laundry both in Waupaca.
Her "farm" on Nelson Road is where she and John would make their forever home for forty plus years, that home and her family, gave her life's greatest joy.
Illa's bird feeder was never empty; she loved watching the birds. We will fondly remember her sitting looking out the window in her chair at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, a good book, and probably a batch of her famous chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven for her family.
Illa is survived by her children Terry Knoke of Waupaca, Sue (Terry)
Molder of Waupaca, John Jr. (LuAnn) Knoke of Stevens Point, Andy (Johnna) Knoke Ripon, Pete (Jenny) Knoke of Pewaukee; fourteen grandchildren; Jaisy, Jace, Jerome, Ryan, Devyn, Mitchell, Karen, Stevie, Sophia, Cecelia, Nicholas, Brandon, Thomas and Alexandra in addition she was blessed with ten great-grandchildren. She is also survived by one brother, Larry Hagen, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband John, three sisters, two brothers, a half-brother, her beloved daughter, Peggy (Knoke) Peskie, and a great grandson.
The family would like to thank Manawa Community Living Center for their great care where Illa spent the final months of her life.
A Private Family Graveside Service will be held at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Cemetery in Waupaca.
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