Jacob "Jake" Mikelson

Jacob "Jake" Mikelson, 34, of Northwood, ND passed away Sunday, September 13, 2015 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND. Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 2:00p.m. at Northwood Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northwood. A visitation will be held from 12:00p.m until the time of the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Red River BMX or to the Mikelson Memorial Fund at Alerus Bank.

Jake Mikelson was born June 17, 1981 in Grand Forks, the son of Tom and Pam (Kenner) Mikelson. He was baptized at United Lutheran Church in Grand Forks and confirmed at Washington Lutheran Church, rural Northwood. He attended school at Belmont in Grand Forks and Northwood Public School, graduating from Northwood High School in 2000, Jake graduated from North Dakota State College of Science, where he studied diesel technology. He continued his education studying power system technology at Alexandria Technical and Community College. During his school years, Jake worked for Fichtner Farms, Gilbertson House Movers, Gabriel Construction and Valley Oil.

On March 24, 2007, Jake married Trish Olson at Washington Lutheran Church. Jake and Trish moved to Minnesota where Jake worked for Ziegler Caterpillar in the power systems division out of Shakopee. During their time in Minnesota, Jake and Trish made many strong and lasting friendships. Wanting to come back home when their family started growing, Jake and Trish moved back to Northwood, where they settled on a farmstead south of town, where Jake redefined the definition of "bonfire." Jake worked for Butler Machinery in Grand Forks as their power systems technician. Here also, Jake and Trish formed many strong professional and personal relationships.

In his youth, Jake enjoyed playing baseball, hockey, football, running track, fishing and all kinds of powered machinery. As he grew, his passions included hunting, dirt bike riding, softball, kayaking, model rocketry, his kids' BMX racing, working on his house and property, and wrenching on his and his friends mechanical projects.

Jake is survived by his wife, Trisha; children: MaKenna, Mason, and Mak; parents, Tom and Pam Mikelson, sisters: Kirsten (Mike) Gensrich, Megan (Derek) Gathman; mother-in-law, Kim (Dwight) Johnson; father-in-law, Tim (Laurie) Olson; sister-in-laws, Tonya Olson and Jaimee Olson; Jake is also survived my many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Preceding him in death were his paternal grandparents, Paul and Shirley Mikelson and his maternal grandparents, Lloyd and Edna Kenner.