Vertin F. "Vern" "Squirt" Knutson

Vertin F. “Vern” “Squirt” Knutson, age 82, of Grants Pass, died Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Harmony Gardens Adult Care.

A funeral mass will be at 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 23, 2011 at St. Anne Catholic Church with Father William Holtzinger officiating. Private interment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Grants Pass. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to the American Cancer Society, 31 West 6th Street, Medford, Oregon 97501.

He was born November 27, 1928 in Virginia, Minnesota to Clarence & Florence (Johnson) Knutson. He graduated from Cook High School in 1946. On June 24, 1950 in Greaney, Minnesota he married Rosemary Skraba and they had two children, Sharon and Larry. In 1948 he came to Grants Pass to work in the logging and sawmill industry until 1959. Then he drove oil tanker for Copeland Fuel for 28 years. In 1985 he became an owner/operator for Interstate Distributor until his retirement in 1991.

Since 1992 he and his wife traveled by motor home to the Midwest and Alaska in the summer and spent winters in Florida, Texas, and Yuma, Arizona. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, cards, and games with friends.

His memberships included St. Anne Catholic Church; an honorary life member of the Knights of Columbus; RASCALS computer club; and AARP.

He is survived by his wife, Rosemary of Grants Pass, Oregon; a son, Larry Knutson of Grants Pass, Oregon; a sister, Donna Berry of Maine; five grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; two nieces, Patti Thompson of Lakeville, Minnesota and Lori Knutson of Forest River, Illinois.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Sharon Matlock; a brother, Richard Knutson; and his parents.