KNOTTS, Carla

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona - 04/05/2005 Carla Peterson Knotts, 52, died peacefully in her sleep April 3, 2005. She was born to Carl and Sylvia Peterson on June 29, 1952 in Inglewood, California. The family moved to Mesa, Arizona in 1964 where Carla attended school, graduating from Mesa High School in 1970. While finishing high school, she also attended The Medical Preparatory School in Phoenix and graduated that same year with a certificate as a medical assistant. While working as a transcriber at Mesa Lutheran Hospital, she met Wolf Safrin, M.D. for whom she went to work for twenty-five years. In between graduating from Mesa Community College with an Associate's Degree and spent several more years attended Arizona State University. Carla met her future husband, Fritz, in Mesa in 1996 on a blind date. He was transferred to the White Mountains in 1997 and they were married at Kohl's Ranch, in October 1998. After moving to the White Mountain, there were few jobs available. Carla was working in Banking and Insurance, obtaining her Property, Casualty, Life & Health Licenses. Always wanting to go back to her first love of medicine, she worked from home as a medical coder and then became working part time with local doctors until her retirement in April 2004. Carla is survived by her beloved husband, Fritz W. Knotts; five step children, Clint, Kristen, John, William and Michael; sisters, Coral (Roger) Ballard, Vernice (Ron) Quigley; many Aunts, Uncles, Cousin, Nieces and Nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Sylvia Peterson. Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 9 at the Shepard of the Mountains Lutheran Church. Interment will be in the R.V. "Mike" Ramsay Memorial Cemetery in Snowflake. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Shepard of the Mountains Lutheran Church 2035 S. Penrod Lane, Pinetop, AZ 85935 Owens Mortuary of Show Low handled the arrangements.