Teresa Westrem Bakken, 76

Teresa Westrem Bakken, age 76, of Grand Forks, ND passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

Teresa Bakken was born March 24, 1944 in Grand Forks, ND the daughter of Tobias and Birgit (Uppstad) Westrem. She graduated from East Grand Forks Central High School in 1962 and attended UND, graduating in 1966 with a major in French. When she discovered she couldn’t be a spy for the CIA because of a communist uncle and an inability to harm anything other than a mosquito, she decided to teach high school, telling countless students throughout the years that she had settled for the second most dangerous profession.

She taught one year at Hibbing, MN and then spent the remainder of her teaching career at Central High School in Grand Forks, retiring in 1999. She married Jerome Bakken in East Grand Forks on June 10, 1972. They had two children together; son Steven of Grand Forks and daughter Anne Bakken (Kevin Dobmeier of Ambler, PA.

She was a lifelong member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, East Grand Forks and in the years following her retirement, she enjoyed participating in its weekly quilting group.
She is survived by her husband Jerome, son Steven, daughter Anne, sister Amy Carney of Zionsville, IN, brother, John Westrem of East Grand Forks, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents.

Memorial may be given to Our Saviors Lutheran Church, East Grand Forks, MN.

Memorial Service: Will be held at a later date.

Interment: Westfield Silent Hill Cemetery, Sharon, ND

Online Guestbook: www.dandahlfuneralhome.com

Arrangements By: Dahl Funeral Home ~ East Grand Forks, Minnesota