Harry John Knaup

We said our final goodbyes to Harry John Knaup December 15, 2015 at home after a courageous battle cancer.

A memorial service will be 2:00 pm on Monday, December 21 at the Coyote Club in downtown Shelby.  A reception for family and friends will follow.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitted Funeral Chapel in Shelby.  Please visit Harry’s online memorial and leavea message condolence for the family at www.whittedfuneralchapel.com .

Harry leaves behind his wife, Lucille (Cele); daughters, Theresa (Todd) Schnee and Sheila (Gene) Maloney; grandchildren, Sean & Claire Hooper, Christian Maloney, Janiece Maloney & Jessi (Aaron) Norman; two great grandchildren; brother Dennis (Mary) Knaup & sister Elaine (Bill) Sweaney; and numerous extended families.

Harry was born in Great Falls to John & June Dennis Knaup of Stockett, November 8, 1944.  He was raised on their farm on Cotton Wood Bench and graduated from Centerville HS May of 1962.  He attended the GF Commercial College before joining the workforce.  He joined the Air National Guard in 1963.  He served as an air police, and received an honorable discharge.

He married Lucille in Great Falls on June 13, 1964, during the famous flood.  It didn’t take him long to realize he didn’t fit behind a desk.  He found work using his hands and continued until failing health.  He moved his family to Kevin, MT in 1973 after the smelter closed.  He lived there until his death.  He began his career in the oil patch before going to work at Big West Refinery.  Due to the refinery shut down, layoffs in the area & few jobs, we purchased the local grocery store and ran the business until his kids were through high school.  Harry continued pumping wells for his father in-law, Warren Sauby, for the past 30 years.

He delivered rural mail for over 19 years.  When he first started the mail route, he enjoyed the relaxing drive in the country. That didn’t last long as we bought our oil lease, becoming owners/producers.  That became his “baby” until he couldn’t drive anymore.

He loved Cele and his girls.  He taught the girls to be self-sufficient:  how to drive, change oil, hunt gophers & of course fishing, you name it.   Logging Creek was our favorite place to go.  The time spent with his grand-kids was the best.  He always said that if had known grandkids were so much fun, he would have had them first.  They wrapped him around their little fingers in no time.  We are all going to miss him so much.  R.I.P, my love.