Services for Renae Lynne Bakke
Mon, 05/19/2025 - 8:56am
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Renae Lynne Bakke, of Gonvick, MN, passed away on Monday, May 12, 2025, at Diamond Willow Memory Care in Detroit Lakes, MN, with her family by her side, after a four year battle with Early-onset Alzheimer’s. She was 61 years old.
Renae was born on July 11, 1963, in Minneapolis, MN. When she was nine months old, she was adopted by her parents, Earl and Eunice Petterson, and brought home to Berner, MN. She grew up with one brother, Mark, whom she adored. She attended Gonvick-Trail School, where she earned the reputation of “The Driver” and could often be seen cruising around town in “The Boat”. She graduated in 1981 as the class clown – a label that she always lived up to. She was proud to be a Bulldog.
During her senior year she started dating the love of her life, David Bakke, and on March 26, 1982, they were married in Aberdeen, SD. They moved to Watford City, ND, and in August, they welcomed their first child, Jon. They came back home to Gonvick in October, and Renae became a stay at home mom and started doing daycare. In February 1985, they had their second son, Jason. She continued babysitting until 1989 when she became a para in Gonvick. In 1994, they had their third child, a daughter named Mandi who completed the family.
In 1998, Renae went to college at Bemidji State University to become a teacher and she graduated summa cum laude in 2000. She long-termed subbed for Mandi’s kindergarten class and was then hired by BRIC to teach Early Childhood Special Education at the Clearbrook-Gonvick School. She did that for thirteen years before going to Mahnomen, where she taught for one year. She then went back to Clearbrook-Gonvick to teach DCD for one year and then to Red Lake, where she taught Early Childhood Special Education for five years until May 2021. She was a beloved teacher, and every student she taught had a special place in her heart. A highlight of the year was always bringing the class out to the farm to see all the animals, go for a long walk, and collect frog eggs to bring back to the classroom.
Renae loved everything in nature, but especially feeding the hummingbirds, watching the geese and swans, and seeing the crane return to the Lost River every year. She loved the smell of the lilacs in the spring and the beautiful, vibrant leaves in the fall. She loved to find things in the clouds and to look at the stars and the Northern Lights. She loved to go for walks at their farm, where she would quite literally go over the river and through the woods. She loved to collect rocks and feathers and was always quick to help an animal in need - whether it was moving a turtle off the road, nursing a bird back to health, rescuing the red-tailed hawk that had a broken wing, or setting free a hummingbird that had gotten into the garage. But she was known as the snake killer at home - a reputation she earned as a child when she would keep their dead bodies in jars in the fridge. This trait was much to the relief of David, who is terrified of them. She went on a spree one summer when she found a burrow outside their bedroom window. She loved the many pets she had throughout her life, which included dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, chickens, and a few birds.
She loved to travel and took her family on many wonderful trips - some of which were cruises to the Bahamas and a trip to Washington State, where we had a snowball fight on the 4th of July. She loved to go to the movie theater – especially to see a rom-com. In the 2000’s she found her biological family and she enjoyed getting to know them. She loved being a wife, a mom, a sister, a friend and a teacher. But the thing she loved most was being a grandma. She became a grandma in 2011 and was blessed with four grandchildren and six bonus grandchildren - all girls! She loved spending time with them - going on walks and ranger rides, playing outside and in the house, doing crafts, baking, watching the sunrise and simply sitting on the couch getting all the cuddles.
Renae’s kindness, generosity and fun-loving spirit made an impact on all who knew her. Her smile and laugh could light up a room. She was always thinking of others and loved to help people in any way she could. She served her community through the Samhold Ladies Aide, being a Sunday School teacher, and as deacon on the church board, as a member of the Gonvick-Trail All School Reunion Committee, and as a member of the Gonvick American Legion.
Renae will be greatly missed by her husband, David; her children Jon (Kendra), Jason (Alisha) and Mandi (Gunner); her granddaughters, Claire, Emmalynn, Piper, Katelynn, Serenity, Emma, Erika, Brin, Bristol and Rylee; her brother Mark; her sibling-in-laws, Brenda (Rick), Lynette, Wayne (Kathy), Bruce (Judy), Norman, and Beth; and her beloved pets - her dog, Ginger and her cats, Walking Cat, Rascal, and Ruby; and many wonderful friends, cousins, nieces and nephews.
She is reunited in Heaven with her parents, Earl and Eunice; her beloved family, Roy, Winnie and Grace; her sibling-in-laws Randy, Mervin, and Judy (Donny); her niece, Colleen; her granddog, Luna, her dogs – Bella, Buttercup, Brandi, Shadow and Macy and her cats – Tiger, Cubby, Fluffy, Mama Cat, Teddy, Mitten and Kitza; and all of her childhood pets. We can only imagine the walk she took them on when they were reunited.
We will miss her forever.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at Cease Funeral Home in Bagley, MN from 2-4PM with a prayer service starting at 3PM. The funeral will be held at Samhold Lutheran Church in Gonvick, MN on Monday, May 19, 2025 at 11AM with a visitation starting at 10AM.
Honorary Pallbearers are Renae’s dearest friends; Terri Mathis, Wendy Basinger, Gail Crane, Brenda Skarison, Peggy Arlaud, and Patty Hanson.
We would like to give a special thank you to Diamond Willow Memory Care in Detroit Lakes who provided excellent care for Renae for 11 weeks, to Knute Nelson Hospice (Vivie) who were there for us and her for the last 2 weeks, and to those who visited Renae at home or in Detroit Lakes – it meant the world.