Albert "Al" Bacon, 85, died on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, CA.


Funeral service will be 2 PM, Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Johnson Funeral Service, Thief River Falls, MN with Reverend Robert Dahlen officiating. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery, Thief River Falls.

Visitation will be noon-2 PM Saturday at Johnson Funeral Service.

Albert K. Bacon was born on February 22, 1926 in Spokane, Washington, the son of Ralph and Clara Bacon. In 1929, he migrated with his parents, Ralph and Clara, and one slightly older sibling back to Minnesota and settled in a rural area near the grandfather farm. There, he attended school in a one room school house through the 8th grade while growing up during the great depression.

The family then moved to the town of Staples, Minnesota where he attended high school and excelled in track and football. In 1943 he left school and enlisted in the United States Marine Corp. After boot camp in San Diego, he was assigned to Camp Pendleton in the newly formed 5th Marine Division in the 5th Marine Tank Battalion.

He trained in California and Hawaii, then fought in the Pacific against the Japanese on the island of Iwo Jima.

After occupation duty in Japan, he received his discharge at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital, and returned to Staples. Al went to work for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1947, and in 1955 he was assigned to Thief River Falls, Minnesota as manager of the company for that location. While in Thief River Falls, he was active in Community Affairs. He served on the City Planning Commission for a number of years under three different mayors. He was the County Civil Defense Communication Chief during the cold war, as well as an advisor to the Vo-tech School. He also served as president to a variety of organizations such as Methodist mens club, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and several others.

Al retired from Northwestern Bell in 1983, and spent the majority of his time at his cattle ranch, or at his fishing camp at upper Red Lake. He sold his property in Minnesota in 1993, and moved to Lancaster, CA at Leisure Lake Mobil Estates with his wife, Shirley. Al was a life member of the Antelope Valley Marine Corp. League Detachment 930, a life member of the VFW Post 3000 of Quartz Hill and a member of American Legion Post 311.

Al is survived by his wife, Shirley; his sister, Edith Jolliffe (Clint) of Minneapolis, MN; his children, Dan Bacon of McIntosh, MN, Barbara Bacon of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Kathy Gellings (Matt) of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Jan Bacon of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Larry Bacon (Denise) of Cambridge, MN; as well as 21 grandchildren; 6 great grandchildren; and 5 step children.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brothers, Ronald, Richard and Patrick.