Brian Bakke

Brian Bakke, 64, resident of Fergus Falls, passed away Saturday, October 12, 2019.

Born April 16, 1955, the fourth child of Ruth L. (Miller) and Burnell T. Bakke in Fergus Falls, MN.

He attended grades 1-8 at the District 1446 one room schoolhouse in Aastad Twp. Brian graduated from Fergus Falls High School in 1973 and attended Fergus Falls Junior College, now M State. In 1974 he helped build his parents’ home on Ten Mile Lake. Later that year he went to Europe for four months, traveling and working at the farms of his family’s University of Minnesota exchange students. He cherished these relationships and continued lifelong friendships.

While at the FFJC he met his wife Lynn Lorsung in a cross-country skiing class, held at Spidahls’ Ski Guard. They married on July 5, 1980, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, where he also had been baptized and confirmed. Their son Benton Reece was born in 1983, and in 1984 he began farming his parents land for ten years. In August of 1988, their daughter Gina Marie was born. In 1994 he began installing suspended ceilings on projects in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Shortly thereafter, he started his own business, Bakke Acoustical, installing ceilings for commercial projects in the Fergus Falls and surrounding area. He retired in 2014 due to the limits of his Parkinson’s Disease. In June of this year, Brian moved into the Prairie Senior Cottages in Alexandria, MN, until his death on October 12th.

Brian had the gift of dry humor and loved making others smile. He enjoyed coffee and visits with his father’s friends and local friends. His children appreciated his love for the outdoors and fondly recall the family camping trips with friends, in particular their camping at Waboose Lake in the Paul Bunyan State Forest, family camping at State Parks, time together at the farm, and trips to Fort Myers, Orlando and Naples, Florida, Yellowstone Park and Mexico.

He enjoyed hunting for pheasant, grouse and fox, ice fishing and wild ricing. His love for the outdoors included swimming, cross country skiing, downhill skiing and water skiing He considered himself fortunate to do all of this in the company of good friends. Traveling was his passion and included Mexico, Hawaii, Reno, NV, Los Angeles, CA, England, Holland, Denmark, Germany, South Africa, Italy, Portugal, Spain. His earthly companions included his dogs Mindy, Buddy, Pixie and Breeze, as well as his 1969 GTO Judge.

He was preceded in death by his parents; uncles and aunts, Andrew Miller, Victor Erlandson, Warren Bakke, Donald and Alice Bakke, and Avis and Herb Bach; grandparents, Minnie and Anton Miller and Thorvald and Alma Bakke, and cousin, Wayne (Nancy) Bakke.

Brian is survived by his wife, Lynn Bakke of Fergus Falls; children, Benton (Abigail) Bakke of North Mankato and Gina (Reed) Matter of Maple Grove; grandchildren, Zoe Bakke, Octavia Matter, Phoebe Bakke, and Talia Matter; siblings, David (Debbie) Bakke, Elaine (Larry Paulsen) Bakke, Daniel (Barbara) Bakke, and Bradley (Lori) Bakke; in-laws, Bob and Barb Lorsung and Sharon Braun; brothers-in-law, Joe Lorsung, Tom Lorsung, and Chris (Ruth) Thompson; sisters-in-law, Jodi (Mike) Boos and Jeani (Tom) Trosvig; aunts, Pearl (Ham) Muus, Gladys Erlandson, and Betty Bakke, and numerous nieces, nephews, other family, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Douglas County Hospice, Bethlehem Lutheran Church Deacons Fund or cemetery fund, Rock Steady Boxing at the Health & Wellness Hub or the 544 Foundation.

Visitation: Monday, October 21, 2019, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with prayer service at 6:30 p.m. at the Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls
Service: Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls
Clergy: Reverends Tom Peterson and Jeff McCrackin
Interment: Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery Fergus Falls

Arrangements are provided by the Olson Funeral Home of Fergus Falls.
Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com