Carla Knaup

Carla Jo "Jody" Knaup, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006, at home after a courageous battle with cancer.

She was born Aug. 10, 1932, in Charleston, Mo., daughter of William Carl and Lucy Pauline Farmer Whitehead. She and Richard Joseph Knaup were married June 10, 1952, at St. Henry Catholic Church in Charleston. He died Nov. 2, 2004.

She and her husband owned and operated Knaup Floral from 1976 until 1999.

She was a member of St. Mary Cathedral. Council of Catholic Women, Daughters of St. Francis DeSales, Cursillo, Saint Francis Medical Center-Perpetual Adoration, Jaycee Wives, charter member of ITA Club and Girl Scout volunteer.

Survivors include a son, Richard Joseph (Charlotte Scherer) Knaup Jr. of Jackson; daughters, Mary Lynn (Oscar) Gardiner of Cape Girardeau, Marla Gwen (Harold) Kunz of Kirkwood, Mo., Karen Elizabeth (David) Rife of Florissant, Mo.; a son, James William (Debra Wills) Knaup of Jefferson City, Mo; a daughter, Kathryn Jo (John) Landewee of Cape Girardeau; a son, Thomas Bosco (Amy Canady) Knaup of Cape Girardeau; a daughter, Lucy Claire Knaup of St. Louis; nine brothers, Charles Whitehead of Jefferson City, Mo., Russell Whitehead of Richmond, Va., Arthur Whitehead of Memphis, Tenn., William Whitehead of Emporia, Va., Irvin Whitehead of Olean, Mo., James Whitehead of Wyatt, Mo., John Whitehead, Benjamin Whitehead and Robert Whitehead, all of Charleston; a sister, Nancy Risko of Stillwater, Minn.; an uncle, Jack Farmer of Washington, Mo.; and an aunt, Virginia Ridings of Charleston.

Also surviving are 15 grandchildren, Jonathan Knaup and Brent Knaup of Jackson, Jennifer (Keith) Heuring of Warrenton, Mo., Adam Gardiner of Cape Girardeau, Theresa Kunz and Elizabeth Kunz of Kirkwood, Mo., Derek Rife and Mary Beth Rife of Florissant, Mo., Nicholas Knaup, Joseph Knaup and Anna Knaup, all of Jefferson City, Claire Landewee, Vincent Landewee, Hailey Haynes and Madeline Hamm, all of Cape Girardeau; and two great-granddaughters, Halle Renee Heuring and Laci Michelle Heuring.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; a sister, Jennye Whitehead Wedeking; and a brother, Richard W. Whitehead.

Friends may call at St. Mary Cathedral Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. Parish prayers will be at 7, followed by Knights of Columbus Council 1111 rosary.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary Cathedral, with the Rev. Tom Kiefer, Monsignor Richard Rolwing, and the Rev. Patrick Nwokoye officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery.

Memorials are desired to American Diabetes Association; St. Mary Cathedral; Notre Dame Regional High School; American Cancer Society, 106 Farrar Dr., Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701; Southeast Hospice 10 Doctors Park, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63703.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.