William Oliver Knost

Advertisement

William Oliver Knost

Birth
Olney, Richland County, Illinois, USA
Death
4 Nov 1938 (aged 77)
Lebanon, Laclede County, Missouri, USA
Burial
Hartville, Wright County, Missouri, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
William Oliver Knost was the son of John Henry Knost (1836-1875, location of grave unknown), whose father, Gerhard Heinrich Knost, emigrated from Osnabrück, Germany to Auglaize County, OH in about 1833. John Henry Knost moved from Ohio to Clay County, Illinois with his older brother, Adam Knost, some time before 1860.

John Henry Knost died when Oliver was 14, and Mrs. Knost remarried a few years later to Civil War veteran William Garrett. The Garretts moved to Missouri with the Garrett children and the youngest Knost child, Ella, leaving the three surviving older Knost children behind with extended family members in Illinois. Oliver married Nevada Armstrong at age 19 (against the wishes of her family, as she was only 15) and moved to Missouri himself, eventually settling in Wright County in southwest Missouri. In the early years of their marriage, Oliver worked on the railroad and was away from home much of the time. Nevada died after the birth of their tenth child in 1896, and Oliver remarried to Viola Vance Underwood, a widow who raised his youngest five children and who was remembered as a kind and loving mother by his son Rolla. Viola died in the influenza epidemic of 1918, and Oliver remarried again in 1919 to Iona Jones Morehouse Hoggatt. She died in 1935 and he remarried yet again in 1936 to Laura Lee Weaver. Oliver died in 1938, several weeks after being severely burned in a house fire. His widow remarried to Damon Young several years later.

Oliver Knost was an excellent builder and carpenter. To quote an unpublished manuscript by his great-granddaughter Barbara Knost Ralston: "William Oliver (Ollie) worked first on the railroad being built through Springfield, Missouri. Later he worked as a carpenter and was well known as an ornate staircase specialist. Many outstanding buildings, hotels, etc. were attributed to him. Later he had a small grocery store and a hardware store. He and his wife Nevada lived in a log cabin. When his wife Nevada died, he made a cement marker for her where he worked and walked to the cemetery to put it on her grave."

---------------------------
Grovespring Man Dies Of Burns Received Oct. 27

William Oliver Knost, 77, died in Wallace Hospital here Friday night as the result of complications which set in from burns he received when his home burned near Grovespring on Oct. 27.

Knost had been badly burned about the face, hands and arms. Most of the skin on his face had been badly burned. He was brought to the hospital here following the fire, remaining until his death.

Knost was a merchant in the Grovespring neighborhood.

Funeral services were held Sunday morning at the Grovespring Baptist Church with the Rev. Selph Jones, Mansfield, officiating. Burial was in the Mountain View Cemetery.

Survivors include his wife, five sons and two daughters. Two sons, Homer Knost of Webb City, and G. H. Knost of Tulsa, were called here by the death. (from the Lebanon (MO) Rustic Reporter, Friday, Nov. 11, 1938.)

[Errors in this obituary: J. R. Knost was the son from Tulsa; burial was in Mt. Zion Cemetery, not Mountain View.]
William Oliver Knost was the son of John Henry Knost (1836-1875, location of grave unknown), whose father, Gerhard Heinrich Knost, emigrated from Osnabrück, Germany to Auglaize County, OH in about 1833. John Henry Knost moved from Ohio to Clay County, Illinois with his older brother, Adam Knost, some time before 1860.

John Henry Knost died when Oliver was 14, and Mrs. Knost remarried a few years later to Civil War veteran William Garrett. The Garretts moved to Missouri with the Garrett children and the youngest Knost child, Ella, leaving the three surviving older Knost children behind with extended family members in Illinois. Oliver married Nevada Armstrong at age 19 (against the wishes of her family, as she was only 15) and moved to Missouri himself, eventually settling in Wright County in southwest Missouri. In the early years of their marriage, Oliver worked on the railroad and was away from home much of the time. Nevada died after the birth of their tenth child in 1896, and Oliver remarried to Viola Vance Underwood, a widow who raised his youngest five children and who was remembered as a kind and loving mother by his son Rolla. Viola died in the influenza epidemic of 1918, and Oliver remarried again in 1919 to Iona Jones Morehouse Hoggatt. She died in 1935 and he remarried yet again in 1936 to Laura Lee Weaver. Oliver died in 1938, several weeks after being severely burned in a house fire. His widow remarried to Damon Young several years later.

Oliver Knost was an excellent builder and carpenter. To quote an unpublished manuscript by his great-granddaughter Barbara Knost Ralston: "William Oliver (Ollie) worked first on the railroad being built through Springfield, Missouri. Later he worked as a carpenter and was well known as an ornate staircase specialist. Many outstanding buildings, hotels, etc. were attributed to him. Later he had a small grocery store and a hardware store. He and his wife Nevada lived in a log cabin. When his wife Nevada died, he made a cement marker for her where he worked and walked to the cemetery to put it on her grave."

---------------------------
Grovespring Man Dies Of Burns Received Oct. 27

William Oliver Knost, 77, died in Wallace Hospital here Friday night as the result of complications which set in from burns he received when his home burned near Grovespring on Oct. 27.

Knost had been badly burned about the face, hands and arms. Most of the skin on his face had been badly burned. He was brought to the hospital here following the fire, remaining until his death.

Knost was a merchant in the Grovespring neighborhood.

Funeral services were held Sunday morning at the Grovespring Baptist Church with the Rev. Selph Jones, Mansfield, officiating. Burial was in the Mountain View Cemetery.

Survivors include his wife, five sons and two daughters. Two sons, Homer Knost of Webb City, and G. H. Knost of Tulsa, were called here by the death. (from the Lebanon (MO) Rustic Reporter, Friday, Nov. 11, 1938.)

[Errors in this obituary: J. R. Knost was the son from Tulsa; burial was in Mt. Zion Cemetery, not Mountain View.]