Kathryn Knopf

When it comes to the ideal mother, Kathryn “Katy” Knopf’s daughter said her mother was “the Best Mother in the World.” Katy was a devoted mother with a heart that always remained full of love. She could be counted on as a provider, a friend and most importantly, as an inspiring role model.

The 1940s were a very important decade in our nation’s past. The epic battles of World War II were fresh in the memories of millions around the globe as people tried to rebuild their lives and move on. It was the era of big bands and the birth of television, back before anyone had ever heard of rock and roll. For the household of Carson and Mary (Mosier) Ball of Dowagiac, Michigan, the 6th of April 1947 was a time of joy. It was on this day that their daughter, Kathryn “Katy”, was born; she was the second of their seven children.

Katy spent her childhood growing up in Dowagiac, where her father worked for Michigan Bell and also did some farming on the side. Her mother was raised a “city girl” and so the Ball children enjoyed the ease of country living as well as the hustle and bustle of big city life. Carson and Mary raised their children in a very traditional home where Sunday meant family visits to Grandpa Judge’s house. Although the children were required to mind their manners and look their best while at Grandpa’s, Katy truly loved their visits. Her placement in the sibling lineup meant she often bore the role as “second mother” to her younger siblings. She fostered a particularly close relationship with her youngest brother Jeff, who would later share her last few hours on this earth. Katy was an active, yet clumsy, young girl and on one occasion while trying to entertain her younger siblings, she was swinging on the clothesline with her brothers pushing and she fell off and broke her neck. Not thinking she was badly hurt, her mother sent her to soak in a warm bath until she realized her injuries were more serious.

As a young girl, Katy learned to be a wonderful cook from her grandmother, whom she dearly loved. She was taught on an old wood cook stove and loved this method of cooking so much that later in life she had her husband and son-in-law install one in her new home. Time together as a family was always important to Katy’s parents and they spent many memorable summers on Lake Manistee in Kalkaska. It was nothing for the family to just pile in the station wagon and be off to the lake for a few weeks. Katy received her formal education in the Dowagiac Public Schools and played clarinet for a short time in the band.

After graduating from high school, Katy found out she was pregnant and had to move away from home for a while. During this time, she made the very difficult decision to give her baby up for adoption. Amazingly, Katy was reunited with her daughter, Kristen, in recent years and cherished every moment of their time together. In the summer of 1968, Katy’s life took another interesting turn. While waitressing at the Indian Lake Golf Club, she met a handsome man named Chuck Hamel on the dock and within a year, they were married. Soon thereafter, they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Denyse, in 1969. Unfortunately, Chuck and Katy’s marriage did not last and they divorced a few years later.

Katy would find love again while working at an apartment complex in Kalamazoo. She met Rogar Knopf and they developed a close friendship over a period of about 4 years. Then, one night they kissed and their relationship took on a whole new meaning. After that kiss, Katy and Rogar became inseparable and were married a year later in the First Presbyterian Church in Paw Paw. This was truly Katy’s dream wedding – her father gave her away and her daughter Denyse and best friend Nancy were in her wedding party. A day she truly cherished all her life. After saying “I do”, the newlyweds went on a two-week camping honeymoon, something they both really loved to do.

Strong willed and hard working, Katy worked many jobs, sometimes 2 or 3 at a time, throughout her life. From a cop and a seamstress to a bartender and carpenter (her favorite), she was a woman with many talents. Katy never shirked her responsibilities, even when times were difficult. So many times, she would pick her daughter up from daycare only to drop her off with another sitter or family member in order to get to her next job. However, the job that was closest to Katy’s heart was as a caregiver to Dr. Schriber’s wife who was battling stomach cancer. She devotedly cared for Mrs. Schriber until her death and then turned her attention to caring for Dr. Schriber who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Compassionately, she cared for him for the next 8 to 10 years as well as caring for Mr. & Mrs Meader. . But even at home, Katy was always driven to work; she would split the wood while her husband Rogar did the stacking or was that because she didn’t allow him to have sharp objects!

The family moved around quite a bit while living in Kalamazoo before finally settling in Paw Paw, where Katy would raise Denyse in a small, quiet community. Here she proved to be a very able homemaker. She was always cooking wonderful meals for her family and was an excellent seamstress, making things from dolls, crafts and clothing for her children and grandchildren. Katy loved her beautiful flower garden and even started her own business called “Katy-Did Flowers.” Her husband admiringly said, “If you gave her a twig – she could get it to grow.” Katy’s passion for flowers came in handy at her daughter and son-in-law’s apartment, where the complex held a contest each year for the best flower garden. With no time to waste, she got right to work in showing them what to do to have a beautiful garden, which ultimately won them the contest.

Katy pursued everything she did with vigor and enthusiasm, including her hobbies like photography and shopping. Once her illness prohibited her from working or tending to her much-loved garden (which wasn’t easy for her to concede to), she turned to some interests indoors like, reading and watching her favorite television shows of Law & Order and NYPD Blue, and she especially liked stamping. Katy and her sister Joan spent many weekends together enjoying the new found hobby. They were either shopping for the perfect stamp or just stamping. It wasn’t just the act of stamping that she enjoyed it was the company of sister Joan and her precious grandchildren who also loved to stamp with her that made it special. And when not stamping together, Katy and her grandchildren were in the kitchen baking cookies. Katy was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Paw Paw and served as a deacon at one time. She drew her husband and son-in-law into the church and they were both baptized in this faith.

Of all the wonderful things in Katy’s life, spending time with her family towered above the rest. She loved to be surrounded by her family in the comforts of her own home and she truly loved spending her time being a devoted wife, mother and grandmother to the people who brought her life joy. Although dubbed “the best mother in the world” by her daughter Denyse, it was said she was an even better grandmother and was present at the births of Denyse and Rocky's children. Katy may have been strict, but she made up for that with her unconditional love. Her family said “she didn’t fight illness for her own life – she fought for her family.” The wonderful memories of this very special woman will live on in the hearts of those that knew and loved her. She will be deeply missed.

Kathryn “Katy” Knopf died on Saturday, December 25, 2004, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. Her family includes her husband, Rogar Knopf; two daughters: Kristen Shuert of East Lansing and Denyse (Rocky) Sherburn of Paw Paw; three grandchildren: Brady, Lauren and Carly; three sisters: Jane Keller of Dowagiac, Marty (Dale) Allen of St. John’s and Joan Sieber of Dowagiac; three brothers: Scott (Kim) Ball of Spring Lake, Carl (Janet) Ball of Dowagiac and Jeff (Nancy) Ball of Dowagiac; and several nieces and nephews.

To learn more about Katy’s life, friends may visit with her family on Wednesday, December 29, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Betzler & Thompson Life Story Funeral Homes, M-40 South of I-94 in Paw Paw. A Life Story Service will be held on Thursday, December 30, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Paw Paw with a luncheon immediately following. Please visit Katy’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to either the First Presbyterian Church of Paw Paw or The West Michigan Cancer Center of Kalamazoo.