OBITUARY: Gena Josephine Bakken, Worth County, Iowa

Gena Josephine Bakken 1903-2001



[Northwood Anchor Newspaper online - www.northwoodanchor.com - October 09, 2001]



                        Services held for Bakken
        

Gena Josephine Bakken, 98, of Northwood, died Monday, Oct. 1, 2001, at the
Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood.

Funeral services were Friday, Oct. 5, at the First Lutheran Church, Northwood,
with Rev. Paul Holmer officiating.  Burial was in the Sunset Rest Cemetery
in Northwood.  Conner Colonial Chapel of Northwood was in charge of the
services. Gena Josephine Bakken was born on May 6, 1903, at Northwood, the
only American born member of Ole J. and Marie (Talle) Bakken.  She was
baptized by the Rev. O.G.U. Siljan at the Trinity Lutheran Church in
Northwood, and reaffirmed the faith of her baptism through confirmation on
May 20, 1917, by the Rev. Hans Fosnes.

She attended and received her education in the Northwood School system,
graduating from Northwood High School in 1921. She taught in Silver Lake
No. 1 for two years.  A Normal Training class trained her for this.  In 1925,
she graduated from the Lutheran Bible Institute in St. Paul, MN.  On the
basis of this training, she became a parish worker for the Rev. T.F.
Gullixson; she also was a parish worker for the Rev. Elmer S. Hjortland at
Eau Claire, WI, at Grace Lutheran Church.

She was also a parish worker in Minot, ND.  In 1930, she went back to rural
school teaching for three years at Deer Creek No. 6.  The following two
years, she stayed at home to help her ailing parents.  Her mother died
during this time. She taught in Grove No. 1 in 1936, and also taught in
Silver Lake No. 1, for another three years.  From 1936 to 1943, she attended
the University of Minnesota from which she graduated in June 1943, with
majors in English and Library Science.  Her library experience was in the
North Dakota State Library Commission in Bismarck, ND, Rochester Public
Library and the Alexandria, Minnesota Public Library where she was the city
librarian for 16 years.  She remained in Alexandria until she decided to
move back to Northwood in April 1980. She had her church membership
transferred to wherever she lived and was active in teaching Sunday school,
Bible classes and headed organizations such as Luther League, Lutheran
Daughters of the Reformation, circles and Ladies Aid.  She also belonged to
professional organizations such as the teacher's organization, the American
Library Association, and kept her membership in the Rochester Branch of the
American Association of University Women.  She was a member of First Lutheran
Church in Northwood, and sang in the church choirs in Northwood and Minot.

Left to cherish her memory are nephews and nieces, Howard Bakken of Plymouth,
Mary (Mrs. Paul) Nystuen of Northfield, MN, Arlene Ludwig of Oakland, CA,
Jeanette (Mrs. Bud Chambers) of Grand Forks, ND, Beverly Ray (Mrs. Don) of
Mesa, AZ, Glenn Bye of St. Paul, MN and Karl Bakken of San Diego, CA.; as
well as other relatives and friends. Her parents, her four sisters, Gertrude,
Juliane, Grace, Anna and her three brothers, John, Ole and Harold preceded
her in death.





Copyright (c) 2001 by Kermit Kittleson; <kermit-k@juno.com>
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.
(Note: I am not necessarily related to the subject of the obituary.)

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