Obituary of James Baukner

James D. Baukner

Lived a long and full life of 90 years, surrounded by loving family and friends.

He passed away June 10th, 2024.

Preceded in death by his birth parents Marie and John Gabriel, adoptive parents Mary and Joseph Baukner, 4 brothers, and 3 sisters.

Survived by loving wife of 70 years, Lucy; children Barbara Van Auken, Steve (Vicki) Baukner, Sue (Paul) Brost; 5 grandsons, Erik (Jessica) Brost, Jon (Natalie) Brost, Luke Baukner, Jared Baukner, Joe Van Auken (Ariel Agmon), favorite granddaughter Katie-Kate Van Auken (Andy Cole); 6 great-grandchildren, Zacariah, Adley, Blake, Brighton, Cameron, Maximilian; many other relatives and friends.

He graduated from Robbinsdale High School in 1952, and shortly after joined the U.S. Army in 1953. He was honorably discharged in 1955. After his military service, he became a proud manufacturing engineer working at MTS and Control data for the entirety of his career.

Throughout his life, he enjoyed the company of miniature dachshunds with the original Queen Doxie being Schatze, followed by Charlie, Snoopy, and tiny Tilly. He loved spending time playing fetch and trading the toy for Cheerios; however, the trades were never fast enough for Snoopy’s liking. Charlie-girl was his princess of table-top treats and tiny Tilly was the ping-pong ball embodiment of pure energy that always kept him laughing as she bounced over him on the couch.

Like any true Minnesotan, he had a lifelong love for fishing, and once got a ticket for too many lines. At his homes in Crystal and Maple Grove, he had plentiful gardens with bean plants taller than he was most years and rows upon rows of tomatoes. At his Maple Grove house, he was at a constant war with the rabbits and squirrels eating his crops.

On the side of his Maple Grove house, he built a shop where he would woodwork at all hours of the day. He taught his grandchildren the proper use of tools, how to work material, and how to build just about anything themselves. He would work on a single piece for who knows how long, and compare it with the work of his friends. No matter how excellent the craftsmanship of a piece was, he always looked for ways to improve, and wouldn’t shy away from saying so.

When he wasn’t fishing, gardening, woodworking, or tinkering, he loved to play games. His favorite was cribbage, which he continued to play at Silver Creek as a way to make new friends. He taught his grandchildren to play when they were young, which in turn helped them to learn how to count and do math quickly. Adding things to 15 only comes up so often in daily life, but we are quick about it!

When it came to helping his granddaughter with her math homework, he would gladly pull out his old slide ruler from his engineering days to work through the problems, scoffing at the calculator and not even acknowledging any fancier technology. Often, he would enlist the help of his friends to tackle the problems, calling close to bedtime to say they reached the answer (long after the homework had already been completed, using the aforementioned calculator).

He had 3 children and 6 grandchildren. All of whom he was so very proud of with all of their accomplishments and achievements. He lived to see them all grow into adults, begin careers, and start families of their own.

From Kaitlyn: He loved to tell people, literally anyone and everyone, that I was his favorite granddaughter. He’d pause and then chuckle saying I always wrecked it by admitting I was the only granddaughter. The joke went on for decades and he loved it every time. My Opa was a father to me and I am extremely thankful that he was able to meet my son Maximilian.

From Joseph: My grandfather lived an extraordinary life, and I’m grateful he got to see so many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow up happy and healthy. Opa raised me just as much as anyone; he taught me to be curious, to figure things out, and to do it myself. He taught me to read, to look up, to ask questions, and to be helpful. Anything I’ve done or could do, I owe to him for showing me how to do things right, not cut corners, and measure twice before cutting once. As long as we’re around, he can never really be gone.

Memorial service to be held Thursday, June 20th, 2024 at 12:30 PM at the Cremation Society of Minnesota. 7835 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Park. Visitation ½ hour prior to service. Memorials to American Heart Association.