Bakken, Merlin Arthur 1939 - 2014

BAKKEN, NELSON, LARSON, ABBOTT, GRIM, HANSON, SWENSON, MARTIN

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/30/2014 at 09:39:01

U.S. Veteran
Merlin A. Bakken, age 75, of Decorah, IA, died Thursday evening, August 21, 2014 at Wellington Place in Decorah.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 26, 2014 at First Lutheran Church in Decorah with Rev. Chad Huebner officiating. Burial will be in Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah, with full military honors.

Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Monday, August 25 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, with an I.O.O.F. service at 6:30 p.m. Monday, and on Tuesday beginning at 10:00 a.m., one hour before the service at the church.

Merlin Arthur Bakken was born on July 19, 1939 in Ridgeway, Iowa, the son of Henry O. and Kaia (Nelson) Bakken. He attended Decorah High School and then entered the U.S. Navy on January 23, 1957. He earned the rank of Seaman, Storekeeper Striker on July 16, 1958. He was honorably discharged on November 14, 1960 and transferred into the Naval Reserves.

Merlin was united in marriage to Linda Larson on February 28, 1965 at First Lutheran Church in Decorah. This union was blessed with two daughters: Laura and Muriel.

He was employed at Carlson Materials Co. in their road construction and then in the family business, Bakken Well Drilling. He was a member of First Lutheran Church and Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), where he had served as the Noble Grand. Merlin received his GED from Decorah High School in 2006.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother Donald Bakken; and two sisters, Muriel Bakken and Shirley Abbott.

Merlin is survived by his two daughters, Laura (Charles) Grim of Castle Rock, CO and Muriel Bakken of Decorah; one grandson, Robert (Shauna) Bakken of Castle Rock; 1 great-granddaughter, Amelia Bakken; his siblings: Dorothy (Duane) Hanson of Faribault, MN, Arlin (Marion) Bakken of Decorah, Hubert (Judy) Bakken of Decorah, Durwin (Jean) Bakken of Kansas City, MO, Katherine Swenson of Decorah and Linda (Doug) Martin of Kansas City, MO; one brother-in-law, Wendell Abbott of Tulsa, OK; and several nieces, nephews and great-nieces and -nephews.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

Decorah Lutheran Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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