Olee Bakke

Olee Sanders Bakke, 94, passed away on March 3, 2018 in the same house where he was born on May 13, 1923. Funeral services will be at 2:00 PM, Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church at Norse with Pastor Bill Metting officiating. Burial will follow at Norse Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 PM, Tuesday at Clifton Funeral Home.

Olee was the son of Ole Sanders Bakke and Cora Helen Bronstad Bakke, and the last remaining of 8 children; Mamie Knudsen, Curtis Bakke, Mervin Bakke, Fran Bohn, Faye Schurman, Corinne Sander, and Gladys Johnson, whom he will be joining in heaven along with his wife of 65 years, Maxine Martin Bakke, and other cherished loved ones.

Truly a people person and a charmer, Olee began farm work at an early age, and he even worked farms all over central Texas from Moshiem to Ferris to help farmers who were called up during WWII. In January 1945, Olee entered the Army where he served in the Army Corps of Engineers. He was honorably discharged as a Sargent in November 1946, and back working in the farm fields by 2 pm the same day he arrived home. He was a lifelong farmer, and was even found bailing hay on his 90th birthday. Olee also worked at Byford Machine-Tool as a machinist, from where he retired after 26 years. He never retired from farming.

Soon after returning from the Army, and just couple of months following her arrival in Clifton, Olee and Maxine were set up on a blind date. After dating for a few years, Maxine proposed to Olee. The couple was married on November 19, 1949 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (OSLC) at Norse.

Olee was a devout Christian and a life-long member of OSLC where he was baptized as an infant and later confirmed. He also attended every annual Smorgasbord to date since the first in November 1949. He was even the youngest church president and was serving as president once again during October 1982 when King Olav V of Norway visited.

In his 20’s, Olee bought his family farm from his father and returned to live in the house he grew up in, and it was there that he raised his four children with Maxine. As a member of the Clifton School Board, Olee was able to present each of his children their High School diploma during graduation. Olee is survived by his daughter Virginia Heinley (Steve), son James Bakke (Gretchen), son Richard Bakke, son Kenneth Bakke; grandchildren John Bakke (Dusty), Megan Kent (Chris), Daniel Heinley, Jeremy Heinley (Jessica), Elysse Denton (Keith), Harriett Shields (Jarrett); and 10 great-grandchildren.

The family requests memorials be given to Lutheran Sunset Ministries where Olee regularly volunteered and later lived, Norse Cemetery Association, or the charity of your choice. We would also like to thank all the staff at Lutheran Sunset Ministries, Hospice Sunset, and Goodall-Witcher Hospital Authority, Dr. Blanton and the many people in the Clifton community and beyond who have loved and laughed with Olee over his well lived 94 years.