Dallas F. Knudson

Dallas F. Knudson
Dallas Froholm (Wanberg) Knudson of West Fargo, ND and formerly from Towner, ND, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 6, surrounded by family, in the Sanford Palliative Care Unit in Fargo.  A celebration of her life will be held at Eventide Sheyenne Crossings in West Fargo on Friday, Dec. 11, at 2:30 p.m.  A prayer service will be held at Zion Lutheran Church in Towner on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 2  p.m.
Dallas was born at home  Sept. 11, 1933, to Rev. R.T. and Olga (Moe) Wanberg in Towner, North Dakota.  She graduated from Towner High School in 1952 and graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with a BA majoring in English and Biology, in 1956. Dallas completed additional graduate studies at NDSU, UND, the University of Oslo, Norway, and a fellowship at the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
Dallas taught high school science in Westby, Wisconsin, from 1956 to 1960.  In 1960, she bought a one-way plane ticket to Norway to begin her Scandinavian adventure.  She taught and later became principal of The American Esso School in Stavanger, Norway, and Göteborg, Sweden.  A sense of adventure guided Dallas while overseas and included working at a ski resort, hitch hiking in England, Scotland and Wales, and touring Spain.
Upon receiving news that her mother was ill, Dallas returned to Towner in the fall of 1964 to care for her.  Dallas married Warner Knudson on June 18, 1965, and resided on the family farm near Berwick.  They celebrated their 50th anniversary with friends and family in June 2015. Dallas taught accelerated English at Minot High until the birth of their three children, Alana, Alyssa, and Chad.  In 1971, Dallas became a Head Start Project Director, serving nine counties, until her retirement in 1998.  She developed a home-based model for rural preschool children that became a national model for implementation. When Dallas retired from Head Start, she worked for the Minot School System as a grant writer until 2001. She devoted her life to supporting others in finding resources and opportunities to achieve personal and professional goals.
Dallas was active in numerous organizations throughout her life including:  national and regional Head Start boards; Sons of Norway; charter member of Daughters of Norway; Rugby Community Concert Board of Directors; Darners Club; Thrivent Board; Silver-Haired Congress (state and national); NW Area Girl Scout Council Board of Directors; Minot Commission on Aging; State Aging Commission; Tri County Nutrition Board of Directors; and was appointed to several state committees serving children, families and the elderly.  Dallas was also dedicated to church-related activities and served in leadership positions and as organist for many years.  She enjoyed documenting local and family histories as well as assisting others with their genealogies. It was particularly important to her to maintain her connection to her Norwegian heritage and relatives. Dallas and Warner volunteered for the U.S. Park Service and served as guides on Amtrak during the summers.  Traveling, seeing dear friends and family, and great adventures guided their fun together. 
Dallas is survived by her husband, Warner, West Fargo; children, Alana Knudson (Roland Gamache), Rockville, MD, Alyssa Knudson Arntsen (Erik), Duluth, MN, and Chad Knudson (Becky), West Fargo; grandchildren, Emma, Anna and Ella Arntsen, Duluth, MN, Ben and Rachel Knudson, West Fargo, Patrick, Brian and Colleen Gamache, Indianapolis, IN, and Jack and Emily Lin, West Fargo; brother, Larrie Wanberg, Solvang, CA; and sisters-in-law, Betty Peterson (Pete), Rochester, MN, and Jean Baglien (Terry), Placentia, CA.  She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. 
She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant brother, sister, Nordis Wanberg, brother, Richard Wanberg, and a sister-in-law, Bjørg Wanberg.