Dorrene K. Knutson

Dorrene Kay Knutson, age 87, died peacefully at Colfax Senior Living on Dec. 23, 2025. She was born Oct. 27, 1938, to Henry (Hank) and Lavina Hanson of Ridgeland.

Dorrene married Curt E. Knutson in Jan. of 1955. They had four children: Terry, Mike, Tom and Jill. Dorrene attended New Hope Lutheran and later Pine Creek Lutheran where she was involved in the ladies aide there.

Early in Dorrene’s life she loved playing cards with neighbors and family. She also loved traveling, taking trips with her sisters along with road trips to the casino. Her last job was working at the Cenex gas station in Ridgeland where she would get the latest “news.”

Dorrene moved into the Colfax Health and Rehab Facility in May of 2017, now Colfax Senior Living. She loved playing bingo and kidding around with the staff which brought out her sense of humor and spunkiness.

Dorrene is survived by her two sons, Mike (Karen) and Tom (Cindy) of Colfax; daughter-in-law Kim of Menomonie; two sisters, Noretta Fladten of Barron and Ronda Bonner of Fridley, MN; two sisters-in-law, Karen Schmidt of Mpls, MN and Alice Hanson of Elk Mound; fourteen grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.

Dorrene is preceded in death by her parents Henry and Lavina Hanson; husband Curt; a son Terry; daughter Jill; two brothers, Jiggs Schmidt and Lanny Hanson; and son-in-law Ron Rose.

A short memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie, WI with Pastor Mike Sparby officiating. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. – until the time of service.

Burial will take place in Pine Creek Lutheran Cemetery in the town of Wilson, Dunn County, WI at a later date.

To share a memory, please visit obituaries at www.olsonfuneral.com