Charles Bakke

CHARLES BAKKE

Waukon

Charles J. Bakke, 91, of Waukon, died Saturday, April 11, 2015, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 18, at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waukon with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial will be at Old West Paint Creek Cemetery. Friends may call from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Charles John Bakke was born on Feb. 19, 1924, in Waukon, Iowa, the only child of Ingvold O. and Emma (Johnson) Bakke. As a youth, he was baptized and confirmed at the West Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church and attended the rural "Bakkum School." After graduating from Waukon High School and attending Waukon Junior College, he began farming with his parents. On April 8, 1948, he married Sylvia Zimmerman at the Presbyterian Church in Churchtown, Iowa. Charlie and Sylvia raised their family and farmed together in Center Township. They milked cows and raised hogs, chickens and crops. Charlie also tested milk cows and sold seed corn for many years. They retired from farming and moved to Waukon in 1989.

Charlie was a longtime member of Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church. He liked fishing and snowmobiling and absolutely loved to play cards. Particularly since moving to town, he enjoyed raising flowers along with a large garden. He made a practice of taking the family on trips when the kids were young and later spent time traveling with Sylvia to see family or on organized bus trips. Charlie was well known for his good sense of humor and he enjoyed being in on as well as often being the object of his good friends' practical jokes.

Survivors include four children, Patsy (Grant) Hagen and Dean (Shelley) Bakke, both of Marion, Todd (Kristina) Bakke of Gardena, Calif., and Steve Bakke of Waukon; three grandchildren, Adam and Noah Bakke and Alyssa (Wes) Wery; a great-granddaughter, Lilly; a special little dog, Toby; and many other family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Sylvia, who died in 2008; and two children, Linda and Duane.

Honorary casketbearers are Gordon Gilbertson, Oliver Roderick, Jack Marsden and Bob Anderson. Casketbearers are John Paul Bakke, Donnie Bakke, Adam Bakke, Grant Hagen, Rex Blake, Randy Bakke and Noah Bakke.

Charles' family would like to extend sincere gratitude to Dr. Steven Perkins, Veterans Memorial Hospital and Crossing Rivers Hospice for the outstanding, compassionate care they provided.

Online condolences may be left at www.martin

funerals.com.