Glenn Knapp

Glenn Knapp went peacefully on to heaven on Sunday evening, October 8, 2023. His two daughters, Vicki and Rae were blessed to be present with him when he went home to be with Jesus. He was born in Joplin, Missouri in March of 1931 to Tracy and Ruby Knapp. He was one of eight children. When he was six years old, he and his family moved west to Idaho to live the farming life. The family lived on farms in Buhl, Ontario (Oregon), Fruitland, Kuna and Nampa. Glenn graduated from College High in Nampa which later became Nampa Christian. He attended Northwest Nazarene College (aka NNU) where he met his wife, Rachel Cockerham. They were married in Nampa in 1951. Glenn majored in theology and education. He and Rachel had their first daughter, Vicki in 1954. Glenn graduated from NNC in 1955. The family moved to John Day, Oregon where they founded the Nazarene church there. They had their second daughter, Raynette (Rae) in 1956. Glenn was a pastor on the weekends and taught at a school in Spray, Oregon during the weekdays while living in John Day. In 1958, the family moved to San Jose, California and Glenn got a job teaching fourth through sixth grades in Cupertino. He taught there fourteen years. In 1961, Glenn and Rachel had their third daughter, Kay. In 1972, they decided to move back to Nampa. Glenn became a teacher at Central school which was all sixth grade then. He taught there for seventeen years. He retired at 59 to work with Rachel at their gifts and antiques store, The Victorian Shoppe, until they both retired when they were 75. Being raised a farm boy, Glenn found joy in working hard and providing for his family. He was also a Journeyman carpenter, so he worked building houses during the summers in San Jose. While living in San Jose, the family would visit Nampa to see relatives and would go to Victory Cove Camp in McCall for a week nearly every summer.

Glenn and Rachel loved serving in the Nazarene churches they attended wherever they lived. They were in the choirs, taught Sunday School classes and frequently served on the church board. Glenn was a man of faith. He frequently was talking with someone about what Jesus had done for him throughout his life. In the mid 1970s, Glenn and Rachel were blessed to informally adopt Jerry Shafer (then of Caldwell, Idaho) as their “son of the heart”. Glenn had always wanted a son and now he had one!

Glenn is survived by his two daughters, Vicki Knapp, Nampa and Raynette (Rae) Gunning, Meridian; his sisters, Anne Turner and Naomi Kennedy both of Vancouver, Washington, his sister, Alberta Cantrell, Gresham, Oregon; his brother, Leo Knapp, Houston, Texas; four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rachel Knapp, his daughter Kay Knapp, his parents Tracy and Ruby Knapp, his brother, Dale Knapp, his sister, June Lewis and his sister, Wanda Durbin.

A Celebration of his life will be held at the Nampa Funeral Home, Yraguen Chapel, 415 12th Ave. So. on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 3:00pm. All are welcome. In addition to flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Boise Rescue Mission, PO Box 1494, Boise, ID 83701, the Jerusalem Prayer Team, PO Box 30000, Phoenix, AZ or Nampa Love, Inc., 16446 N Franklin Blvd., Nampa, ID 83687.

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