Gloria Knight

Gloria Hincks Livingston Clark Knight passed away at age 89 on November 11, 2020 at the Star Valley Care Center in Afton, Wyoming with her loving family nearby.

Gloria was born July 2, 1931 to Clinton Emery (Bud) Livingston and Emma (Leone) Elvira Hincks in Rupert, Minidoka County, Idaho. She was welcomed by an older sister Barbara, and in time the family grew by an additional three brothers (Clinton, Ted, Doug) and three sisters (Darlene, Ann, Pam).

Not long after Gloria was born the family moved to the Wyoming and East Idaho border in Star Valley that is currently just north of Alpine and part of the Palisades lake bottom. This move was literally in the middle years of the Great Depression. Despite this the close-knit family prospered on their Homesteaded land. The east hills of their ranch had abundant spring water that they could use for potable water and also to successfully graze sheep, cattle and interestingly unpenned pigs. The Snake River was to the West of their fields they had cleared of sage brush and provided plentiful fishing. A great deal was expected of Gloria on the expanding ranch at a very early age. But rather than succumbing to the anxiety and hardships of pioneer homesteading Gloria was true to her name and gloried in all the adventure and inherent problem solving. Her farm girl roots were strongly established and remained with her throughout her life.

Gloria was one of those young children who really did walk uphill for a mile in snow to get home from school. The Livingston children did have a sleigh and team they harnessed each wintery day to travel the two miles to the school and back -however it was not uncommon for the sleigh to slip off the semi-packed snow track that had been created. Then the children had to abandon horses and sleigh and walk home in the snow to get help. To avoid the trials of the heavy alpine snowfall during her High School years, Gloria secured boarding with families in Etna and Grover where she was able to catch the school bus to the High School in Afton until her graduation in the Spring of 1949. Gloria remained a lifelong learner and she particularly liked history.  She loved America and devoured books with the history of its founding, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. Gloria was 10 years old when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and 14 years old when World War II ended. She then experienced with the nation the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. Her oldest grandchildren fought in the Iraq War and thankfully they returned home to the true patriot.  Gloria was well acquainted with the U.S. Constitution and always made a stand for “liberty and justice for all.”

In the Spring of 1949 Gloria met a handsome young Merchant Marine named James Clark from Etna who was home to visit his ailing Grandmother, Elizabeth Ann Rodgers Clark. He never returned to active duty after meeting Gloria at a dance in Old Alpine. They were married December 19, 1949. They had six children -five girls and one boy (Debra, Vicki, Valeri, Cindy Lou, Jon, Jani). Cindy Lou died in infancy. Jim had a trucking business with his brother Allen hauling coal to California and returning to Wyoming with seed barley or other scheduled loads. After Jim had a hunting accident in the Fall of 1959 that damaged his face and left him partially blind in one eye, Jim and Allen dissolved their trucking business. Allen took the trucks and logging equipment and Jim took the farm equipment. Jim and Gloria’s lives were very difficult at that time. The farming and ranching came naturally to Gloria but it was not a paying enterprise even though they had grown their farm to nearly 400 acres.  Both hard workers Jim and Gloria would continually seek work doing a wide variety of odd jobs in order to make ends meet. The stress became more than they knew how to handle and after 22 years of marriage they divorced. However, Gloria continued to help Jim on the farm especially during the haying season and when an extra hand was needed changing sprinkler pipe. Jim passed away April 17, 1981.

Gloria met Floyd (Rocky) Knight in the Fall of 1980 and they married in  
December, of that same year. Rocky was       a very kind and caring person. Rocky had moved to Star Valley to be an assistant manager at Star Valley Cheese in Thayne. However, with the many financial problems that the cheese plant was having at the time Rocky opted to be one who trucked the cheese to new markets and he always took Gloria with him. They trucked together for the next five years covering most of the 48 States and using different areas of the country as their hub. Gloria liked traveling the country and learning the local histories but she greatly missed being home in Star Valley. They returned home to live in and manage their property The Three Pines Trailer Court in Thayne. Rocky and Gloria later sold the Court and moved to Etna near her son Jon and his family She was once again and happily near children and the farm.

 Gloria was close to her Savior Jesus Christ and had a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel.  She loved The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the members of her Ward Families. She worked committedly at each and every calling that she was asked to serve in. Gloria and Rocky were sealed in the Logan, Utah Temple for all time and eternity July 14, 1990. Together they served as Stake Missionaries and then in 1992 were called to serve as full time missionaries in the Pennsylvania Pittsburg Mission. They served in the Titusville, PA area and made many lifelong friends. Rocky had a number of health problems perhaps stemming from his time as a Prisoner of War in Germany. Rocky passed away February 1, 2007. 

Gloria is survived by daughters Debra Titensor (John) and Vicki Rainey, son Jon (Deanna) and step children Rocklyn, Sherri, Bobbi and Jeff Knight.  She was preceded in death by daughters Cindy Lou, Jani Clark Ashment, Valeri Clark Waid. She was preceded in death by …. Grandchildren. Gloria is survived by 20 grandchildren, 73 great grandchildren, and 15 great great grandchildren. One grandchild preceded her in death.