April Knigge

May 13, 1964 – August 20, 2022

April Lynn Knigge, 58, of Moses Lake, Washington, passed away in the comfort of her home on August 20, 2022 surrounded by her family and friends.

April was born in Bellevue, Washington on May 13, 1964, to David and Myrle Salinas. She is preceded in death by her parents David and Myrle Salinas, her brothers John and Robin Salinas and granddaughters Liliy and Rhiannon Locher.

April is survived by her beloved husband Douglas R. Knigge; her daughter and son-in-law Desiree and Judd Locher; her sons Dustin B. Goodwin, Tyler D. Harless and Corey S. Harless of Moses Lake as well as sisters Bonnie Springer and Debra Reeve; and brother Eric Salinas. She is also survived by 17 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren that were her entire world, along with several Aunts, Uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family.

April always said that she felt called to be a nurse from the time she was a little girl. She achieved that dream and graduated from BBCC as an RN while raising her four children as a single mom. She took her first job at Terrace Heights Care Facility (now Columbia Crest) where she spent several years as a charge nurse. She then moved on to Samaritan Hospital where she became a charge nurse in the ICU. April excelled at her calling and spent the next 20-plus years saving lives, comforting and providing exceptional care to her patients, helping grieving families and mentoring several generations of new nurses.

April met the love of her life, Doug Knigge, in the early summer of 1999. They married one year later on June 3, 2000. Doug and April built a life that they loved over the next two decades. They began their journey by renovating a house that soon became their home. Here they hosted holidays and bi-weekly family gatherings as well as many birthdays and other joyous occasions, filling their home with life, love and the sounds of laughter. When April was not surrounded by those she loved, you could find her in one of her numerous rose or flower gardens, which she so lovingly cultivated.

April retired from nursing just before the pandemic, and when it hit, she felt called to help. As an avid and accomplished seamstress, she began making reusable cloth masks for the children of Moses Lake. She and her husband spent the following two years making and delivering thousands of masks to every school in Moses Lake that would accept them and her efforts landed her on the front page of the newspaper. She loved her newfound purpose and worked tirelessly to ensure that every child attending school received a mask (or two).

April was a true force of nature, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, ggma, friend, mentor and nurse. She had an infectious laugh that was recognizable in a crowd and her passing has left a hole in the hearts of all who knew her. She will forever be loved and missed.

A Celebration of Life gathering and potluck will be held in her honor on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at Blue Heron Park in Moses Lake from 3 to 5 p.m. The family has reserved the covered gazebo closest to the play area and restrooms. If you would like to bring flowers, we kindly ask that you consider flower bulbs or plantable flowers, so that we may add them to her favorite garden at home. This will become her memorial garden.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/ea9bf5d9.