Beltrami County remembers Wendell Knutson, known for sleigh rides and community gatherings

Wendell Knutson, whose sleigh rides and horse-club work tied Puposky to Bemidji for decades, died Saturday, June 20, at age 89. Funeral services were scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 29, at Bethel Lutheran Church in Bemidji, with visitation from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, June 28, at Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home in Bemidji and one hour before the service at the church.

Born Oct. 28, 1936, in the family farmhouse in Puposky, Wendell Carl Knutson was the son of Carl and Adeline Knutson. He attended Austin School in Puposky through sixth grade, then continued at Bemidji Junior and Senior High School and graduated with the Bemidji High School Class of 1954. He stayed tied to that class for 72 years, returning for reunions and helping with planning and preparations.

After graduation, Knutson worked at Leonard Dickenson’s sawmill before beginning a 42-year career with Culligan Soft Water in 1956. He retired in 1998. He married Beverly Monson in 1956, and the couple raised four children on the family farm he loved.

Knutson’s place in Beltrami County went well beyond his work. He and Beverly hosted family reunions, wagon trains, horse rides and countless gatherings, and he became known across the county for the sleigh rides he provided at Buena Vista Ski Area and at other locations around the region. He was a dedicated horseman, active in the Go and Whoa Horse Club and a long-time participant in the Beltrami County Fair.

The Beltrami County Historical Society has preserved county history since 1952 from the Great Northern Depot in Bemidji. The county fair began in Bemidji in 1907, and the original fairgrounds were used even earlier for horse racing.

He also remained rooted in faith and home, with ties to Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Puposky and the Debs-Puposky Parish.