Clayton Morris Knoshaug

Clayton Morris Knoshaug, 82, of Guthrie, MN died early Wednesday morning, September 11, 2024.

Clayton was born October 26, 1941 the son of Clifford and Minnie (Bicker) Knoshaug. He grew up on a dairy farm in the Spokane area and was the third of six children. After graduating from high school, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics at Eastern Washington State College in Cheney, WA.

In 1965, he was awarded a teaching assistantship at Washington State University in the Mathematics Department.  By 1968, he earned a Master’s Degree and a PhD in Mathematics with a minor in Physics at WSU.

His future wife, Ivy, was a student in one of the courses for which Clayton was a graduate assistant. They were married in Spokane just as Clayton finished his PhD and accepted a mathematics teaching position at Bemidji State College. For 38 productive years, Clayton enjoyed sharing his love of mathematics with a wide variety of students at BSU.  Clayton and Ivy bought a farm in Guthrie in 1969 and settled into the area. In 1976, he was one of a small group of people who procured the former Guthrie schoolgrounds and started a project to create a Guthrie Community Center called Ye Olde Schoolgrounds. Clayton enjoyed traveling with Ivy, woodworking, farming, square-dancing, cross-country skiing, biking, and all things sweet to eat.

He leaves behind his wife, Ivy, a son, Mikael (Norway) and a daughter, Kristen (Lino Lakes) along with two granddaughters, Kendle and Emily.

Memorials may be made to the Knoshaug Mathematics Scholarship Fund at BSU.

A Celebration of Life for Clayton Knoshaug will be held at the Guthrie Community Center (Ye Olde Schoolgrounds) on Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 11 am to 2 pm.

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