In 1947 local resident Norman Daniels, answering the call for a new level of personal, meaningful and affordable service in the Grande Ronde Valley, he purchased the home of a prominent La Grande family and remolded it into a functional funeral facility while maintaining the charm of an older home.

Twenty years later in 1967 Dale Proffitt returned to his hometown to continue the service to the many friends and neighbors who had grown to expect the level of service provided by Daniels.

During the 1990's when many funeral home owners in Oregon and Nationally were selling their family businesses to large corporate acquisition companies, we retained our locally owned status. We love living here and are honored to serve the people of Union County.

Even today, over 70 years since its humble beginning, Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center is proud to continue its rich heritage of service for yet another generation. Returning to the Grande Ronde Valley in 1984 Carol and Lowell Knopp raised their family in the same community and in the same schools as were attended by Norm, Dale and Carol. In October of 2007, after serving our community for over 25 years, owners Lowell and Carol Knopp decided to add their name to the legacy that Norm Daniels started. We are proud to have a staff of experienced and caring professionals who also share a long history in the Grande Ronde Valley.

Daniels Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Appreciation Center is dedicated to accommodating the varied individual needs, wishes and budgets of each and every family, before, during and after, the time of need. We treat every person as though they were a member of our own family. We're proud to have been here with you during the good times and some difficult times and we're honored to continue serving you, our friends and neighbors in this beautiful valley.

The core of the funeral service is a farewell to a loved one. It is a way of honoring the significance of a life lived. By providing a way to say goodbye to a loved one, these services help family and friends accept their loss and open themselves to the process of healing. There are many ways of honoring a life lived. For some this may include religious traditions or family customs. For others it may be a Celebration of Life with the service centered around the life that was lived. There are many ways in which to honor the significance of the life lived and we are here to help plan this special service.

These are just some of the services we provide to the families we serve. Death Certificates Gather statistics and complete death certificate Obtain Doctor's certification File certificate with the county registrar Obtain Certified Copies of the Death Certificate Record Death Certificate with the County Clerk Obituary Gather statistics and personal information Author obituary in requested format Obtain families approval or changes Submit Obituaries to Newspapers to Publish unedited version of the obituary on our website Veterans Obtain flag for family Arrange for Military Honors Insurance We accept insurance assignment from most insurance companies Other Offer the family a video tribute Offer the family Offer color photo memorial folders.

We are part of this community and look for various ways to give back to the community and be of service. We always enjoy attending local events, such as parades, fairs, festivals, art events, feeds, and such. Here are just a few of our former and current involvement. Lowell Knopp Lowell is a member of the La Grande Sunrise Rotary Club where he has served on the Board of Directors and was instrumental in chartering the Sunrise Rotary Club and is Past President of that organization. He served President of the Union County Chamber of Commerce for his own term as well as most of the term of the preceding President who left the area and could not fulfill his term. He is a graduate of the Leadership La Grande-Union County program. He served as Secretary/Treasurer of the Blue Mtn. Rodeo. He was a board member of the Oregon Funeral Directors Association and the Mt. Emily Safe Center, where is was active in their fund raising. He has served on church committees and is served as Vice-President of the EOU Mountaineer Booster Club. Carol Knopp Carol was a former member of the La Grande Soroptimist Club and the Central School PTA, where she served as Treasurer. She was a school room volunteer and Room Mother when her boys were in elementary school and served as Chairperson of the Central School Site Council. She has been active with her church school program. She was involved with Mt. Emily Safe Center and its fundraising. She was a member of PEO. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of Eastern Oregon University and served as President of the EOU Foundation for several years as well as serving on the EOU Alumni Board. Sally Wiens Sally was a member of the La Grande Lions Club, as was her father, Judge Wes Brownton. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Eastern Oregon University and a member of a local PEO as well as serving as an officer at the state level and served on other community committees. She started a military support group that was active for several years. Dale Proffitt Dale was a member of the La Grande Jaycees, the La Grande Rotary Club and the Union County Chamber of Commerce, where he was past President and was honored as "Man of the Year". He was active with the Indian festival of Arts for many years and the March of Dimes. He served as President of the Oregon Funeral Directors Association. He has also served on many committees of various organizations over the years. Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center and its staff have contributed to many of the local livestock shows, rodeos, various fund raisers, school projects and community events.