Aldon Bakken, 84, died on Sunday at St. Francis Healthcare Campus, Breckenridge. By the time Bakken joined the City Council on April 7, 1970, Wahpeton was undergoing significant expansion. He was called to make decisions that encouraged its growth and he excelled at it, said Arden Anderson, former city auditor.
"He was a level-headed and nice person," said Anderson. "He did a good job for the city."
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"He was always fair and impartial and studied the issues before making a decision," he said. "He kept himself informed as to what was going on."
Jerry Lein, a city engineer here from 1975-2003, described Bakken as a "good guy," someone who never said a bad word about anybody. Lein now lives near Underwood, Minn.
"He had some health problems even when I lived there, but you sure couldn't tell it," he said. "He bounced back all the time and was always doing something good."
Bakken, a native of Christine, N.D., moved to Wahpeton in 1949 as an employee at Northwestern Bell. One of the first ways he got involved in the community was by joining the Wahpeton Fire Department in 1956, later becoming president of the state's fireman's association for two years. He served as city alderman for eight years.
Bakken was very active with a group of social leaders in the community, many of whom have passed on, said Lein.
"They really kept the city going with their involvement in different clubs," he said.
Bakken was also a member of several local organizations, such as the Eagles Club, the VFW Honor Guard and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
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