Oswald Kanikkeberg (1926 - 2009)

Born 16 Feb 1926 in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Jean (Geertsen) Kanikkeberg — married about 1947 in Idaho

Husband of Shirley Jane (Brynaldson) Kanikkeberg — married 26 Jun 1971 in Idaho

Died 6 Nov 2009 at age 83 in Lewiston, Nez Perce County, Idaho, USA

Biography

Obituary

(Coach) Ozzie Kanikkeberg passed away peacefully Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife Kathi and children. Ozzie was born to Mamie and A.O. Kanikkeberg Feb. 16, 1926 in Fargo, N.D. In 1936, the family moved from North Dakota to the Northwest and eventually settled in Kendrick. He served his country with the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946. Ozzie graduated from the University of Idaho at Moscow, where he played baseball for the Idaho Vandals and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. While attending UI, he met and married Mary Jean Geertsen. She later passed away and he married Shirley Fredrickson, who is deceased as well. Ozzie coached in Culdesac and Troy, before moving to Genesee in 1955. Coaching was his life. He was known as "Coach" to generations, and had a genuine interest in his students' and athletes' lives. Coach and his teams won 660 basketball games, including 611 at Genesee. In the mid-1960's, his football team won 48 straight games. While there were no state playoffs in that era, a mythical state championship game was played at Cascade. When asked why the game was played at Cascade and not a neutral site, he said that Genesee was always willing to travel to play anyone, anywhere. Whether it was at school, home, or traveling, his "clipboard of plays" was with him. The state basketball championships in 1964, 1971 and 1983 were treasured memories. His 1971 team went 26-0 and was honored in April 2009 as the Legends Team at the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame Sports Banquet in Coeur d'Alene. Coach Kanikkeberg was inducted into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986, and in 1999 he was inducted into the Idaho High School Activities Association Hall of Fame. His accomplishments were recognized in USA Today, where he was name the "winningest" active coach in the state of Idaho. This record still stands today. Even after his students graduated, he still kept up with their lives and families. His door was always open to a troubled kid, a concerned parent or anyone who just wanted to talk. He was deeply honored when Genesee named their gym the Ozzie Kanikkeberg gymnasium. After Ozzie retired and had relocated to Lewiston, he was reacquainted with Kathi Rohrman Rotelli, who he had known since his early days in Culdesac. They were married in Sonora, Calif., Nov. 20, 1999. Preceding Ozzie in death were his wives, Mary Jean and Shirley, a sister Myra Lee and his son Craig Andrew Kanikkeberg. Survivors are his beloved wife, Kathi; four children, Kathy Blair of Austin, Texas, Steve Kanikkeberg of Jenson Beach, Fla., Karla Rutledge of Philadelphia, and Rodney Kanikkeberg of Moscow; seven grandchildren, Michael Fredrickson of Moscow, Cheryl Brown of Oaksdale, Wash., Sharon Bohara of Tekoa, Wash., Cindy Stout of Genesee, Mark Kanikkeberg of Troy, Victoria Rotelli and Lawrence Rotelli, both of Modesto, Calif.; sisters, Donna Lohman of Kendrick and Ann Erickson of Juliaetta; brother, Jordan Kanikkeberg of Genesee; 16 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lewiston. The service will be followed by a luncheon.

Burial

Genesee Valley Lutheran Cemetery, Genesee, Latah County, Idaho, USA

Sources

"United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VY45-8J8 : accessed 08 Oct 2014), Oswald Kanikkeberg in household of A O Kanikkeberg, Kendrick, Kendrick Election Precinct, Latah, Idaho, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 29-21, sheet 1B, family 26, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 749.

"United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VQ9Y-P3R : accessed 08 Oct 2014), OSWALD KANIKKEBERG, 06 Nov 2009; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKLN-XKJR : accessed 23 March 2018), Mamie Kanikkeberg in entry for Ozzie Kanikkeberg, Idaho, United States, 10 Nov 2009; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Lewiston Morning Tribune, born-digital text.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75694504/oswald-kanikkeberg