Obituary for Mark Kneeskern

Mark Dean Kneeskern was born July 10, 1972, in Audubon, Iowa, to Laurice (Peterson) Kneeskern and Cloy Kneeskern. He attended grade school and high school in Audubon, and attended Iowa State University in Ames, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1995. After graduation, Mark lived and worked in Des Moines and Montreal for several years before traveling to Terlingua, Texas to visit a friend. He fell in love with Terlingua, and soon made it his home. In Terlingua, Mark met the love of his life, Shannon Carter, when hitchhiking for the first time. Together they made a life in Terlingua during the cooler months of the year, while traveling to Colorado for the summer. Each fall, Mark would hitchhike his way across the country to the Midwest to visit family and friends before returning to Terlingua for the winter.Mark was an artist, a musician, an author, a performer, a jokester, a lover of all things creative, and a friend to every person he met. He lived every day to the fullest, and enjoyed peaceful, quiet times as well as crazy, loud celebrations. Mark found his art in everyday things and created the most amazing paintings, drawings, sculptures, performance art, music, and costumes. He will be missed by his friends and family all across the country.Mark is survived by his partner, Shannon; mother, Laurice, Rochester, MN; siblings Gary, Preston; Sheri (Pat Dunnigan) Bellingham, WA; Dave (Carol), Greenfield, IA; Sara (Mike) Welch, Chicago, IL; and Beth, West Des Moines, IA; nieces and nephews, Trista (Adam) Rowland and their children McKenzie and Carson, Wykoff; Tommy and Katie Welch, Chicago, IL; and Annie Kneeskern, Boseman, MT. Mark is preceded in death by his father, Cloy Kneeskern.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2014, 10:30 am, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Big Springs, Minnesota. Interment will be at Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery on Windy Ridge. There will be visitation with lunch for family and friends from 12:00-3:00 pm at the Branding Iron in Preston. All are welcome.

(Note: This information was provided by Mark’s sister, Sara Welch, on Mark’s Facebook page.)