Avis (Knutson) Goforth

Avis (Knutson) Goforth was born December 31, 1949, in Ada, Minnesota, to Selmer and Evelyn Knutson. She passed away April 3, 2022, with her loving husband and sons by her side.

She grew up on the family farm near Gary, Minnesota, graduated from Gary High School, and married Sonny VanderLinden in 1968. They had three sons: Brian (Narita), James, and TJ (Jaralyn) VanderLinden. They were later divorced. She married James Goforth in 1999 and they combined families to include Cindy (Rick) Teixeira, Tim (Lisa) Goforth, and Christine (Tony) Corso.

Her boys remember her good cooking, but especially fried chicken, hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes, fried apples and cinnamon over vanilla ice cream, and home fries. Favorite outings included weekend fishing trips to Scooteney and Pot Holes reservoirs. Avis was the favorite grandma to 13 grandchildren and grea- grandma to four. She had a huge amount of love for her grandkids and always planned activities for their visits. She shared new adventures and opportunities for making memories, despite her chronic back pain.

She was a great homemaker and always had a clean house, never letting anything stack up on the dining table. It was a habit she developed as a result of her upbringing. She loved having a beautiful flower-filled yard and many friends and family were thrilled to receive her home- crafted gifts. She always made the most of what she had.

Avis and Jim traveled to a number of amazing places throughout their marriage from their home base in Trout Creek, Montana. They visited family and made their way to some of the country's most beautiful places. One of the highlights was walking across the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The biggest disappointment was traveling through the Tetons and not being able to see much because the cloud cover was too low. Once they were instructed to take shelter in a concrete campground bathroom should the tornado sirens go off. Another time, they waited beneath an underpass for a storm to pass- again tornadoes! He loved her meatloaf. She hated making it, but she made it for him anyway. He also loved her gingersnap cookies.

She is survived by seven sisters, Nyla Conrad, Salem, Missouri; Karen Roberson, Richland, Washington; Lynda Rogers, Little Falls, Minnesota; Gayle (Lyle) Morrison, West Bend, Wisconsin; twin sister Mavis (Myron) Peterson, Caledonia, Minnesota; Cyndi Burnard, Brainerd, Minnesota; Pam (Jeff) Winkelman, Aurora, Colorado; and brother Clinton "Sam" (Marlene) Knutson, Gary, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Bette Preeman, and son James.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks you give to the charity of your choice or do good deeds in Avis's memory. Remembrances may be left at http://www.sunsethillsfuneralhomes.com.

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 23, at Desert Lawn Memorial Park. The family will host a celebration of life immediately following the service at Zintel Creek 19th Hole Banquet Room. A celebration of life will also be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at the Wayside Bar in Trout Creek, Montana.