Jean Bakke, 99, died May 6, 2024 at Bethesda Home, Webster.
Funeral services were at Fiksdal Funeral Service chapel, Webster. In honor of her service in the U.S. Navy, inurnment will be in the Black Hills National Cemetery.
Jean Avis Selgestad was born in Sioux Falls Aug. 9, 1924 to Elmer and Dorothy Selgestad. She grew up on various farms in the Madison area. She attended high school in Madison, graduating in 1942. She enlisted in the Navy and served as an airplane mechanic in Norman, OK until the end of WWII. She felt it a privilege to travel on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. in 2010 to be recognized there along with other WWII veterans. Following her discharge, she returned to Madison, where she was an office worker and later manager of Buches clothing store.
She married Graydon Bakke in 1947 in Madison. They moved to Mitchell and then to Webster in 1952 where she worked for Halbkat Drug Store. While Graydon was Day County Sheriff, she worked at the Day County Jail living in an apartment next to the jail. She volunteered at Day County Museum in 1954 and eventually becoming the (volunteer) Director of the Museum, serving for 66 years until the museum temporarily closed due to Covid. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and WELCA. She was a 50-year member of Day County Legion Auxiliary, member of Red Hats and founding member of Jr. Websterian Club. She enjoyed playing bridge and was a member of several bridge clubs. She enjoyed dancing well into her 90s.
Survivors include her son, Kevin and Patty, Rapid City; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; two sisters, JoAnn Redmann, Renton, WA and Susan Deniger, Port Orchard, WA; many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; son, Gregory; one grandson; two brothers, Leon and Vincent Selgestad and a sister, Mary Newcomb.