Laura Knopfel

Celebration of Life Services for Laura Ann Good Knopfel will be held at 2 PM on Sunday, January 5th at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Covington, with Rev Kenneth Wade officiating. Burial will be in the Marshall North Lions Cemetery, Marshall, under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home.

Ann was born on February 5, 1943 to Charles and Laura Edith Soderstrom Good and passed on December 29, 2019. She grew up in Chandler, OK, attending school in both Chandler and Davenport, OK. Coming from musically inclined family, she began piano lessons at the age of 6 and shortly after added accordion and organ lessons. She began playing for church services at the age of 14 years of age when she would fill in on Piano as needed. As a high school student, she participated in 4-H, choir, band, pep club, journalism, speech and debate, was a member of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls and also performed both individually and with her brother for a number of events in the community and surrounding towns. She was selected to attend the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago and was a member of the Oklahoma All State Chorus.

Ann graduated from Chandler High School in 1961 and then attended Oklahoma State University, majoring in Home Economics Education. During this time she was a member of the Student Entertainers under the direction of Cy Perkins and lived in Willard Hall women’s dorm where she served as an officer on the residential hall committee.

In 1965, Ann completed her bachelor’s degree and went on to begin her first year of teaching at Covington-Douglas High School, where she would later retire. She moved to Inola in 1967 to teach but returned to the Covington Community following that school year to accept Carl Francis Knopfel’s hand in Marriage on May 25, 1968. After moving back to Covington, She accepted a Home Economics teaching position at Waukomis High School where she would remain until 1985. During this time, she experienced the birth of her 2 children and completed her Master’s Degree from Central State University in 1982. After leaving Waukomis, she completed course work at Phillips University in Enid, Ok to add elementary and a general music certification to her teaching certification. In 1988, she accepted an elementary teaching position with Covington-Douglas Elementary School where she would remain until her retirement in 2003. During this tenure, she taught in numerous areas including: 2nd grade, Title 1, middle school reading and science classes, choir, pre-k and accompanied numerous students for both vocal and instrumental music contests. She always found it funny that she started with high school students and ended her teaching career with pre-k students.

Outside of teaching, Ann did not slow down. She was a member of the Stillwater Order of Eastern Star where she received her Grand Cross in 2009, she served as a 4-H Leader, including serving on the Oklahoma State 4-H Volunteer Board, and after the passing of her husband in 1990 she took over managing all aspects of the family farming business. Besides teaching, Laura is most known as a staple member of the community through her gift of music. She taught piano lessons off and on out of her home for a number of years, has accompanied numerous students for solo and ensemble contests, and has served as the church organist for both the Covington Christian Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church. Spanning over 35 years in the Covington community she has played for church services, weddings, funerals, and 5th Sunday sings- including playing for her last church service only a few hours before her passing.

She is survived by her daughter Carla Ann of Chandler, Jonathon Carl of Bartlesville, sister-in-law Lena Mae Knopfel of Mulhall, OK, and a number of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and her brother Charles Oscar Good.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either “Bartlesville Band and Orchestra Boosters in memory of Ann Knopfel”, P.O Box 2421, Bartlesville 74005 or to “Oklahoma Grand Assembly of IORG in memory of Ann Knopfel”, PO Box 1459, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044.