Cyrus “Cy” James Knutson passed away peacefully from kidney failure on June 16, 2019, in Spring Valley, Minn. Cy was born to Cyrus and Lillian Knutson on December 6, 1930, in Anoka, Minn. He grew up in Renville with his three siblings, Ellen, Russell, and Lowell. Growing up in rural Minnesota introduced him to a lifelong passion for hunting, fishing, nature, and wildlife, a passion he passed on to his children and many others in his life. He planted hundreds of trees on his beloved Preston property. Cy was a lifelong learner, an avid reader, and a lover of history and politics. Cy graduated from Hamline University with a Bachelor of Arts, and the University of Minnesota with a Master’s in Public Administration. He served for three years in the Army, stationed in Germany, beginning in 1951. Cy worked as the Bloomington Assistant City Manager before becoming the Bloomington Public School’s Finance Administrator, where he served for 29 years, helping to develop one of the largest school systems in Minnesota. He married Ann Ulness in 1957 and had four children. He married Shirley Albert in 1977, and they retired to Preston in 1986, where he enjoyed a long and peaceful retirement. After Shirley’s passing, he married Jan Sheppard Hemphill in 2003.
Preceded in death by wife Shirley, parents Cyrus and Lillian, sister Ellen, and brother Lowell. Survived by wife Jan, first wife Ann Seymour, children Cyrus (Kristen), Nora (Tim White), Alec, and Jay (Sari); and five grandchildren: Torrie, Aaron, Emma, Anna, and Maddie Scanlan.