Elizabeth “Liz” Anne Knoll, 71, passed away on February 16, 2023, at home, following a hard-fought, six-year battle with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). A private burial will be at her mom’s family plot in Lincoln Cemetery in Knoxville, IA. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Liz was born September 13, 1951, in Des Moines. She graduated from East High School in 1969. She worked a total of 47 years in the administrative/secretarial/quality control fields. After graduation, she worked 29 years at Principal Financial Group (formerly The Bankers Life). After leaving Principal, she spent several years at EquiTrust Life Insurance; then finally retiring in 2016 from Petosa Law, having worked there several years.
She enjoyed spending time with friends, dancing, movies, working on crafts, watching her favorite TV shows, and playing PC games.
She was a strong, independent person, and a survivor several times over. She survived serious injuries from a motorcycle accident in 1984, when doctors said she wouldn’t. She also survived breast cancer more than once. First diagnosed in 2007; then diagnosed again in 2015; only to find out in 2017 that the breast cancer had spread to other areas of her body (MBC). That Stage 4 diagnosis meant it was treatable, but not curable. Having chemo and radiation, in an effort to try to keep the cancer from spreading any further, which ultimately no longer worked.
Liz was preceded in death by her mother, Margaret Varme. She is survived by cousins; and several long-time, close friends, whom she always considered her family over the years. A huge thanks to friends, Jim and Carol Calvert, who helped in many ways, and ensured that Liz’s final wishes and arrangements were taken care of.
Any contributions that someone may wish to make in Liz’s name can be made to the John Stoddard Cancer Center to help fight breast cancer, the Animal Rescue League, or the Animal Lifeline of Iowa.
The above obituary was written by Liz, since there were no immediate family members to do it. She wanted to be sure the things she thought were important were said and relayed accurately, as it’s the last chance to do so.