Beloved grandmother, church organist, choir member, volunteer

Arlene Lois Kniep, born March 19, 1932, in Madison, Wisconsin, died peacefully on September 27 in Claremont. She was 91.

The youngest of three girls, Arlene spent her early years in Madison, where she learned to play the piano at a young age. She was 13 years old when her family moved to California. They settled in Temple City, then moved to Alhambra. She attended Alhambra High where she met Orville Kniep, her future husband. They were married in 1951.

Music was always important to her. A self-taught organist, she played at Temple City Church, and later at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Arcadia, which her husband and her father helped to build, and later she and Orville helped to grow the congregation. She was the organist at Our Savior Lutheran for more than 50 years, and an avid participant in the church choir. While attending Citrus College for her medical assisting associate degree, she sang in the concert choir under director Ben Bollinger.

After her retirement she was involved with many nonprofits, including the Lutheran Braille Workers, Lutheran Arrowhead Camp, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, and Lutheran Hour Float Committee for the Rose Parade. Her efforts with the latter even resulted in a much-cherished ride on the Lutheran Hour Rose Parade float. She was also very involved with Bible studies, youth groups, Sunday school and other activities and events at Our Savior Lutheran Church.

She loved holidays and delighted in annual Halloween parties for her 11 grandchildren as well as celebrations at Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. She lived her later years at Claremont Manor, where her family loved visiting, highlighted by memorable birthday bashes for her each year in the Manor courtyard. She also often noted how happy she was to receive the loving care of Citrus College nursing students doing their clinical rotations at the Manor.

She was predeceased by her husband Orville and her son Ronald.

She is survived by sons Richard Kniep and Daniel Kniep; daughter Laura Bollinger; and nine grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Lutheran Braille Workers, an organization for which she and her husband Orville volunteered and valued its efforts of for many years, at donate.lbwloveworks.org/give.