Jean Jacobson

Jean Jacobson
July 31, 1919 - April 13, 2014

Jean spent her last days at home with her many children and grandchildren loving her up all day and all nighta�"each of us being thankful to have had such a wise and kind and loving mother and grandmother.

Jean began her life on a farm in North Dakota. She often told us about the pet pig she rode instead of the usual pony. When her family lost the farm during the Depression, they moved to Devils Lake, N.D. to start over. After graduating high school, she went on to Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, class of '41, majoring in Physical Education and Business. She was a representative to the National PE Conference in Berkley, CA. She also won the State Typing Championship in North Dakota. However she often talked about the required French class and the French teacher who never spoke English. To this day she doesn't know a word of French.

After college she taught PE in northern Minnesota, and then took a break to do her stint as Rosie the Riveter in Seattle. Then she began her long teaching career in Stillwater, Minnesota and met her husband, Reuben W. Jacobson. They proceeded to have four children and she continued her teaching career as a substitute teacher. She was always in demand and one of her triumphs was teaching German for a year without knowing how to speak German. She was such a good teacher though, and managed to get her class through their German work. The year she substituted for a junior high math teacher, her students got the highest marks on their end of the year tests.

Jean was a friend and mentor to so many people, and her heart for civic involvement was very large. During her time as Stillwater AAUW president they created a foreign student project and hosted exchange students from the U of M in the homes of Stillwater residents, culminating in a huge backyard Indian picnic at her home at 1338 S. 5th St. This interest in foreign students led the way to her involvement with AFS and Rotary a�"helping to place the international high school exchange students at Stillwater HS. Jean and Reuben personally hosted students from Sweden, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, and Norway. Her international world view led her to serve as a board member for Operation Bootstrap Africa for many years, promoting and supporting educational opportunities for children across the continent. Afraid to fly as a young woman, in later life she took her first airplane ride and visited friends in Sweden, Colombia, New Zealand and her son and family in Tanzania.

Jean Jacobson served God by serving and loving God's people. She was a Bible Study Fellowship leader for 15 years and anyone who knows BSF will know how many friends and love that study produces. She and her friends started a small Friday afternoon gathering for St. Croix Valley senior citizens which actually evolved into the creation of Croixdale Residences and Apartments in Bayport and she served as Treasurer on their board for many years. She was not only interested in the seniors of Stillwater, but the youth as well. Jean ran a Cub Scout troop, and also a Girl Scout troop which stayed together for eight years, becoming the first high school Girl Scout troop in Minnesota. It was a singing troop, performing for seniors in the St. Croix Valley. Camping trips and canoeing on the St. Croix were special times. Jean was on the board and raised funds for many years for Stillwater Young Life as their annual banquet co-chair

At Trinity Lutheran Church she was married, her four children were baptized and confirmed, and she served in the choir and on the church council. She was part of the Cursillo retreat weekends, and served on Cursillo teams for many years. She loved sports though, so her favorite part might have been being on the church winning darts team!


Yes, she loved sports and followed the Ponies, the Gophers and the Vikings a�"-as well as attending unlimited games to watch her grandchildren play football, hockey, baseball, soccer, basketball and tennis. The Minnesota Twins were a big joy (when they won!) Besides the darts team she was a member of multiple bowling teams and her basement was full of trophies. Reuben gave her a trophy on her 50th birthday a�"a�"an award for having put up with him all those years!

Jean was a very special persona�"-even winning the WCCO Good Neighbor Awarda�"-a cherished award in Minnesota history. Jean Jacobson loved life and she loved people. During the last years of her life she lived at Boutwells Landing in Oak Park. When we visited Mom, we were all struck by how much she loved her new friends and they loved her a�"-always teasing and enjoying each other. We are all thankful to the many people at Boutwells who loved her!

Romans 5:5 "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." This passage came to us in a daily devotional. We actually have God's love in our hearta�"and not just a drop... it has been poured into us! What shall we do with this truth? As granddaughter Jessie said, "this is so Grandma. She provided such a fantastic example of this for us alla�"-taking the love that God put in her and giving it to someone else, freely and without hesitation".

Missing Jean so much are her children, Lynn (Rich) Voelbel, Mark (Linda) Jacobson, Jeanie (Bob) Morrison, Kris Jacobson (Bill Chadwick); grandchildren, Rich (Sarah), Mary, and Joe Voelbel, Laura (James Wu), Sarah, and Katherine Jacobson, Jessie (Eric Bain), Peter and Willie Morrison, Andy, Allie, and Anjali Chadwick; great-grandchildren, Jacob, Andrew, and Charlie Voelbel

Memorials to Global Health Ministries (Project # 79 AL -P0001) for Dr Mark Jacobson's Health Ministries in Arusha, Tanzania. 7831 Hickory St NE, Fridley, MN 55432



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