Robert "Bob" Bakken

   Robert (Bob) E. Bakken, 88, of Wichita, KS, passed away on July 20, 2022. Bob was preceded in death by wife, Nancy (Buchholz), great-grandson, Jensen Hicks, his mother and father, and several siblings. He left behind son, Rory, of Wichita, daughter, Vicki Markham, of Garnett, KS, three grandchildren, Melissa Hicks, of Ottawa, KS, Meghan Bakken (Jesse Bettinger) and Peyton Markham, also of Garnett, four great-grandchildren, a sister Vonnie (Mike) Rostad of West Fargo, ND, and several nieces and nephews.

   Bob was born December 29, 1933, to Carl & Hilda (Seidel) Bakken in Elizabeth, MN. At a young age, the family moved to eastern North Dakota where he attended school. In 1954, Bob joined the Naval Reserve and was called to active duty in 1956 where he served two years in Japan.

   After completing his service, Bob met and married his wife, Nancy, and he began his career in finance and banking, which lasted 60+ years. The family lived in Jamestown, ND, Baker, MT, Beulah, ND, and Argonia, KS, before Bob moved to Wichita.

   Bob was also a very active member of his community. No matter where he lived, he was a member of one or more civic organizations, such as Kiwanis, Lions, and Chamber of Commerce, just to name a few. Bob was also active in his church, where he served on numerous boards.

   Bob’s last thoughts that he wanted to share with you were that he had 88 great years on earth and so many of you have given his life joy and meaning. Due to his outgoing personality and his all-around friendliness, he met many people and created many long-lasting friendships because of his job. He spent every day of his life getting to know somebody new and sharing his sense of humor with them, yet he also learned much from them. His laugh was contagious. If you knew Bob, you know how important laughter and kindness were to him. He will be missed by many.

   Bob’s funeral will take place on Saturday, July 30, 3:00 pm, at the Ascension Lutheran Church, 842 Tyler Road, Wichita. There will be a graveside service at the Sunset Memorial Gardens in Fargo, ND, on Wednesday, August 3, 11:00 am. Family and friends will gather at Olivet Lutheran Church after the service.

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