Norman Albert Bakkeli

Mr. Norman Bakkeli, beloved husband of Mrs. Marion Bakkeli, of Consort, Alberta, passed away peacefully at the Consort Hospital and Care Centre, Consort, Alberta on Monday, April 15, 2019, two days after his eighty-ninth birthday. Norman was born at Frontier Hospital, Frontier, Saskatchewan, at the start of the “Dirty Thirties”. He remembered and shared with his family, growing up in the dust and drought of 1936-37, and mosquitoes and hoppers of the early forties. Then in the fifties, things were better on the farms. He went to Halliwell School, until it closed in 1942, then to South Trail and Frontier Schools. He worked on farms in the early years, but was not much of a farmer, by his own admission. He managed an elevator at Loomis in 1955 until April 1956, and then the Farm Suppliers Co-op until 1962. Norman worked for the Town of Frontier from February 1965 until May 1977, and then was a custodian of Frontier School; as well as driving a school bus for seventeen and a half years, and fixing radios and televisions. While working for the town, Frontier was really growing and expanding, so he helped install many of the water and sewer lines. He said “I also made the ‘icebergs’ north of the Pool Elevator”. This was an experiment to purify the water by freezing. One task he regretfully never did accomplish was to find the gallon of ‘Green Kerosene’ that Otto Riise sent him for, back in the forties. Norman enjoyed Community Service, as a Reservist in Frontier; and he was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch Number 32, and the Lions Club. In 1961, he was married to Marion Olson and from that union they had four children born in Frontier. They moved to Consort, Alberta in 1980, where he was a School Custodian. He also enjoyed watching Golf and Curling Bonspiels on television. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Marion; children, Carol (Wayne) Walker of Consort, David of Consort, Lisa (Mark) Williams of Edmonton, Terry (Christine) of Stoney Plain; grandchildren, Candice (Jeff) Vold and Kyle Walker of Consort, and Jessica Williams of Edmonton; and great grandchildren, Natalie, Rylie and Liam Vold all of Consort. He will also be remembered by his brother, Lloyd Bakkeli of Frontier, Saskatchewan and his sister, Anna Iverson of Shaunvon, Sk, sisters-in-law, Dianne (Ron) Parsons and of Duncan, British Columbia,Louella (Wally) Wilson of Alder Flats, Alberta, and numerous nieces and nephews. Norman was predeceased by his parents,Thorwold (1980) and Nora (1984) Bakkeli, sister-in-law, Marg Bakkeli (1990); father-in-law, Arthur Olson (1976); mother-in-law, Violet Olson (2006); brother-in-law, Lonnie Olson (2013); sisters-in-law, Donna Coakley (2004) and Iladell Rodin (1993); and brother, Henry Bakkeli (2009). The family will be having a quiet family gathering in Saskatchewan, at a later date. If desired, Memorial Donations in Norman’s honor may be made directly to The Lung Association at www.lung.ca, or the Alzheimer Society of Canada at www.alzheimer.ca. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.coronationfuneralhome.ca. Arrangements in care of Coronation Funeral Home, Coronation, Alberta. Phone: 403.578.2928.