Doris Elaine Volden

Doris Elaine Volden, age 92, of Westby passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 10, 2023. She was born on March 22, 1931, on a small 10-acre farm just one mile west of Tri State to the late Palmer and Rose Volden in Vernon County, Wisconsin where she was the youngest of 10 children. When Doris was about five years old, her family moved to a farm close to Esofea, where she started first grade at South Natwick School. After living there for two years, the family moved back to the 10-acre farm where Doris attended and graduated the 8th grade from Unseth School.

While growing up, Doris would help raise a garden of vegetables with her mother, so their cellar always had a quantity of canned goods. Doris had remembered her mother, Rose, as a great cook, baker, and seamstress. She baked homemade bread, lefse, strool, krum kakaa, and lots of cookies and cakes, which were all from scratch.

When Doris’s Grandpa Ale passed away, her Grandma Christiana Lee came from Norway to live with her family. She would go on to tell her kids about how her grandma did not speak English, so instead of calling her Doris, she would call her Veshla Dolla which meant “little doll.”

Doris married Arnold Bakkestuen on February 21, 1948, at Vang Lutheran Church by Pastor Aasen and together they had 10 children: Arvid, Elaine, Ellie Jo, Mike, Gloria, Kenneth, Lola, Randy, Jon, and Sheila. They later divorced after 28 years of marriage. She then married Howard Volden on April 28, 1978.

She was baptized and confirmed by Rev. J. O. Holum and has been a life member of Vang Lutheran Church and its W-ELCA. Doris was also a life member of the Cashton V.F.W. Auxiliary Post 8584, member of Westby American Legion Auxiliary Post

155, member and volunteer at Norseland Nursing Home and Westby Senior Citizens, and a life member of D.A.V. Auxiliary.

Doris is survived by her five children: Mike, Gloria (Alton) Brose, Lola Bakkestuen, Randy (Cindy), and Sheila (Richard) Steele; son-in-law, Richard “Odie” Odemoe; 23 grandchildren; 86 great-grandchildren; 15 great-great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her special “adopted” grandchildren: Lori Pedretti, Amy Ellefson, Wade Brown, Kristi Rude, Justin Brown, and Nick Brown.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Volden; her children’s father, Arnold Bakkestuen; twin daughters, Ellie Jo and Elaine; sons: Arvid, Jon, and Kenneth; grandsons: Jonathan Bakkestuen, Frankie Oliver, and Clayton Oliver; granddaughters, Michele Bakkestuen and Bobbie Jean Pierce; great-grandson, Marine Corporal Ryan Vue; daughter-in-law, Margaret Bakkestuen; her parents, Palmer and Rose; brothers: Jerry, Clifford, Otis, Lester, Chester, Purdy, and Archie; and sisters, Irene Nelson and Marion Pfingsten.

“Love To You Each and Every one, always and forever!” ~ Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma, Great-Great-Grandma, and Auntie Dee.

A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at Vang Lutheran Church. A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Vosseteig Funeral Home in Westby. An additional visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service. Doris will be laid to rest at Vang Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Vosseteig Funeral Home & Crematory in Westby is serving Doris's family.

708 S. Main Street

Westby, WI 54667

(608) 634-2100