Timothy Jallen

Timothy Jallen, age 73, of Bismarck, ND, and grew up in the Fosston/McIntosh area, passed away on Sunday, February 18^th, at Sanford Health in Bismarck. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 2^nd, at Hope Lutheran Church in Fosston with the Rev. Peter Lurvey officiating. Interment will be in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, rural Gully. Family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service on Saturday morning at the church. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Fosston and Bismarck Funeral Home and Crematory of Bismarck, ND. Messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com and www.bismarckfuneralhome.com. 

Timothy was born July 24, 1950 in Fosston, Minnesota to Edwin and Hazel (Evje Gelen) Jallen. He is the fourth of five children. Tim grew up in Fosston, McIntosh, and Pine River, Minnesota. He spoke so fondly of growing up in these small towns. He often told us how he would walk around town as a little boy and either get a Coke at the Chevy garage, chocolate milk at the creamery, or donuts and cookies from the bakery. He also liked visiting his father at the butcher shop. In high school, he worked at the Pine River Bakery. After high school, Tim completed one year at Vernard Bible College in Iowa and then graduated from Detroit Lakes VoTech with a degree in drafting. During his time in Detroit Lakes, he befriended a few brothers. By chance, he later met their youngest sister in Fargo and he married her three years later. Tim and Jeanette married in Detroit Lakes on July 14, 1979 and then started their life together in Bismarck, North Dakota. Tim and Jeanette have two children, Stephanie and Timothy, Jr. 

During his life, Tim wore many hats and worked many different jobs (which included being a mechanical draftsman, facilities manager of a community of townhomes, boat repairer, baker, and cemetery groundskeeper). But, most importantly, he cherished the time that he spent making memories. He loved his family and was a devoted father and adoring grandfather. He had a passion for the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. He invited his children to enjoy these activities with him any chance that he got. He made many friends who shared these passions. Some of our fondest memories of Tim were made in the kitchen. He was a great cook and baker and he especially enjoyed baking at Christmastime. He also spent much time playing cards with family at the dining table, especially during hunting season. As he got older, Tim might not have remembered your name, but he seemed to remember faces and he would greet you like you were his best friend. And if you got into a longer conversation with him, he wouldn’t hesitate to tell you how proud he was of his children. Despite being born nearly deaf, he was always making connections with strangers. His family has often been told by employers that he was such a hard worker who took pride in the job that he did, no matter how small it may have been. He was also a gifted mathematician and would tell stories of how he used these skills to make jobs easier, much to the chagrin of some teachers and bosses. Tim was a sensitive, generous, and sentimental person who would treat anyone with kindness. He loved to joke around and found humor in most situations.

As a father, Tim was always there… whether it was a sports activity, a school music performance, cuddling up in his big chair to watch TV, or rocking his babies to sleep when they were sick. In 2002, he chose to change careers and move to Scottsdale, AZ so he could provide more opportunities for his son to play baseball. This experience and exposure during his high school years helped his son get recruited to play baseball at NDSU. During those years, his daughter was attending college in northern Arizona and he always welcomed her visits. In 2008, he moved back to Bismarck and then attended as many Bison baseball games that he could- both home and away. In January 2012, he again moved across the country, this time to support his daughter. For three years, he lived with Stephanie and was the primary daytime caregiver to his granddaughter, Aria. He was her very first best friend, and when Stephanie and Aria moved to Bismarck in 2015, the two of them picked up where they left off. They spent hours together most afternoons after school, when he delighted in giving her snacks and driving her to activities. Even though he did not get to spend as much time with them, he loved his other grandchildren, Ivy and Maverick, as deeply as he did Aria. Even in his last days of life, he smiled when he heard their voices. He also adored his daughter-in-law, Kaelin, and was so happy to welcome her to his family.

Timothy is survived by his wife, Jeanette Jallen; children Stephanie Jallen and Timothy Jallen, Jr.; daughter-in-law Kaelin (Carlstrom) Jallen; grandchildren Aria Cole, Ivy Jallen, and Maverick Jallen; sisters Susan (Jallen) Simonson and Mary Beth Jallen; brothers-in-law Mark Simonson, Charles Knopf, John Knopf, David Knopf, Joe Ed Knopf; sisters-in-law Joan (Kriewald) Jallen, Paulette (Johnson) Jallen, Mary (Knopf) Dumpprope, Diane (Emswiler) Knopf, and Cheryl (Schmit) Knopf; and many nephews and nieces. 

Timothy is preceded in death by his parents, Edwin Jallen and Hazel (Evje Gelen) Jallen; father-in-law Frederick Knopf; mother-in-law Helen (Nester) Knopf; brothers, Gary Jallen and David Jallen; brother-in-law, Robert Dumpprope; nephew Matthew Dumpprope; and great-niece Angel Knopf; his grandparents and many beloved uncles and aunts.