Sandra K. (Kukla) Knopik,71, Manning, went home to her Heavenly Father Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at St. Mary’s Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, MN from an unidentified blood disorder. Sandra’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9:30 a.m., Friday, October 14, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Killdeer with Fr. Joseph Evinger as celebrant. Interment will take place at Fairview Cemetery, Bismarck. Visitation will be on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service with a Rosary and Litany of Saints Vigil at 6:30 p.m. with Deacon Dan Tuhy presiding. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the Mass at the Church.
Sandi was born July 24, 1951 in Dickinson, she was the youngest of three children. As a young girl Sandi loved listening to her Grandmother tell her stories and she loved to go for walks through her Aunt Martha’s flower garden, in the spring she would catch tadpoles and watch them turn into frogs then let them go. She attended a country school a half mile from her home and graduated as valedictorian from Killdeer High School in 1969, she graduated from Wahpeton State School of Science where she met her husband, Francisco Knopik, it was love at first sight for both of them and they were married on August 19, 1972. From that love, Sandi and Francisco had four children, Shad, Sheri, Paul and James. In their early marriage they worked and made a home in several towns: Dickinson, Hettinger, Manning, Bismarck, Hazen and eventually moved back to Manning where she lived until her death.
Sandi had the most beautiful smile and greeted everyone with a smile. She had great respect for priests, religion and family. She taught CCD to the children in Hazen and Killdeer for 12 years. One of Sandi’s favorite pastimes was to make rosaries. She made over 5000 rosaries 15 years ago when her husband finally quit keeping count of them and she was still making rosaries during the month she passed away. Sandi was also a great cook and loved sewing.
Sandi was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Elsie (Voss) Kukla; both brothers, Lou and Lee; and her children and grandchildren that were lost through miscarriage.
Sandi is survived by her husband of 50 years, Francisco; son, Shad (Heidi), Phoenix, AZ; daughter, Sheri (Shawn) Gunwall, Center; son, Paul (Brandy), Dickinson; son, James (Tiffany), Bismarck; 16 grandchildren: Nathaniel, Michael, Gabrielle, Isabelle, Kael, Hunter, Gage, Ryker, Winter, Angel, William, Hope, Elijah, Jayven, Zayden and Kohen; and step-granddaughter, Deidra (Shiloh) Jung and their children, Braelee, Taimyn, and Maliya.
