1931
Gerald
2016
Gerald Jacobson DVM
August 11, 1931 — August 5, 2016
Gerald Andrew Jacobson, DVM, 84, was called to his eternal home on Friday, August 5, 2016. He died peacefully at his earthly home surrounded by his family.
A celebration of Gerald’s life will be held at Hillcrest Covenant Church, 880l Nall Ave, Prairie Village, Kansas on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at 11:00. Family will receive friends for visitation at the church from 10:00 to 11:00.
Gerald Jacobson was born in his family home on their farm on the Mississippi River near Jacobson, Minnesota on August 11, 1931. He enjoyed a boyhood of work and adventure on the family farm and in the Jacobson community in northern Minnesota with his brother Jake, sister Carol, and many cousins and friends. He was never far from hunting, trapping, fishing and playing or watching sports, particularly baseball and basketball. A very good student, he was valedictorian of the Hill City High School Class of 1949. He attended the University of Minnesota and received a Bachelor of Science in 1953, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1955 and Master of Public Health in 1960.
Gerald married Naomi June Geske on May 12, 1956, in Alexandria, Minnesota. They settled in Overland Park, Kansas, occupying the family home in Overland Park at the time of his passing for more than 50 years.
Working life for Gerald began in 1955 as Staff Veterinarian in the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Disease Control, sparking what became his career focus in public health that spanned 30 years of military service, including the Army Veterinary Corp and then U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). He retired in 1988 as a Captain in the USPHS. In these years, he served many state and federal agencies with a focus on radiation control and protection, that included the Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado and Missouri Departments of Health, as well as United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now known as the Department of Health and Human Services) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He ended his career with the USPHS as Regional Radiological Health Representative with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Southwest Region, Kansas City, Missouri. Upon retirement, Gerald worked as a consultant for the next 10 years for Argonne National Laboratory in the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program. He remained a licensed Veterinarian in Kansas and a member of the Kansas Veterinary Association until his death.
Foremost in his life was a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that he and his wife, Naomi, lived out through the Hillcrest Covenant Church. He remained active in the church for over 50 years, serving in capacities that included teacher, deacon, and a member of the missions committee. He treasured his Friday morning breakfast Bible study and prayer group. Gerald was an avid sports fan of the Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Chiefs, and any University of Minnesota team. He enjoyed vacationing and spent at least one month a year at the family cabin on Shallow Lake near Grand Rapids, Minnesota and the month of January for over 20 years enjoying the fishing, sunsets and walking the beaches of Marco Island, Florida.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Walter C. and Ruth Marie (Lodmill) Jacobson, as well as brother and sister-in-law, Walter P. “Jake” and Esther Jacobson.
Gerald is survived by his loving family: wife, Naomi with whom he enjoyed only 60 short years of marriage; daughter Deborah and son-in-law, Randy Van Vleck of Albuquerque, New Mexico, son Jim Jacobson of Overland Park, Kansas, daughter, Lisa Jacobson of Spring Hill, Kansas, grandchildren; Rebecca and Christopher Van Vleck of Albuquerque, New Mexico, sister and brother-in-law the Reverend David and Carol Gabriel of Bigfork, Minnesota, as well as many cherished nieces and nephews.
Gerald’s faith and hope never faltered even in his journey the past several years with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), known to many as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gerald claimed several Biblical passages as his hope during his illness with ALS:
For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Hebrews 13:14
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
The family requests memorial contributions in lieu of flowers in his name to:
ALS Association, Mid-America Chapter
Kansas City Office
6950 Squibb Road, Suite 210
Mission, Kansas 66202 www.alsa-midamerica.org
Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care
10100 West 87th, Suite 100
Overland Park, Kansas 66212 www.kchospice.org
City Union Mission
1100 East 11th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64106 http://cityunionmission.org
Hillcrest Covenant Church
8801 Nall Avenue
Prairie Village, Kansas 66207-2106 http://hillcrestcov.org
A celebration of Gerald’s life will be held at Hillcrest Covenant Church, 880l Nall Ave, Prairie Village, Kansas on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at 11:00. Family will receive friends for visitation at the church from 10:00 to 11:00.
Gerald Jacobson was born in his family home on their farm on the Mississippi River near Jacobson, Minnesota on August 11, 1931. He enjoyed a boyhood of work and adventure on the family farm and in the Jacobson community in northern Minnesota with his brother Jake, sister Carol, and many cousins and friends. He was never far from hunting, trapping, fishing and playing or watching sports, particularly baseball and basketball. A very good student, he was valedictorian of the Hill City High School Class of 1949. He attended the University of Minnesota and received a Bachelor of Science in 1953, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1955 and Master of Public Health in 1960.
Gerald married Naomi June Geske on May 12, 1956, in Alexandria, Minnesota. They settled in Overland Park, Kansas, occupying the family home in Overland Park at the time of his passing for more than 50 years.
Working life for Gerald began in 1955 as Staff Veterinarian in the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Disease Control, sparking what became his career focus in public health that spanned 30 years of military service, including the Army Veterinary Corp and then U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). He retired in 1988 as a Captain in the USPHS. In these years, he served many state and federal agencies with a focus on radiation control and protection, that included the Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado and Missouri Departments of Health, as well as United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now known as the Department of Health and Human Services) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He ended his career with the USPHS as Regional Radiological Health Representative with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Southwest Region, Kansas City, Missouri. Upon retirement, Gerald worked as a consultant for the next 10 years for Argonne National Laboratory in the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program. He remained a licensed Veterinarian in Kansas and a member of the Kansas Veterinary Association until his death.
Foremost in his life was a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that he and his wife, Naomi, lived out through the Hillcrest Covenant Church. He remained active in the church for over 50 years, serving in capacities that included teacher, deacon, and a member of the missions committee. He treasured his Friday morning breakfast Bible study and prayer group. Gerald was an avid sports fan of the Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Chiefs, and any University of Minnesota team. He enjoyed vacationing and spent at least one month a year at the family cabin on Shallow Lake near Grand Rapids, Minnesota and the month of January for over 20 years enjoying the fishing, sunsets and walking the beaches of Marco Island, Florida.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Walter C. and Ruth Marie (Lodmill) Jacobson, as well as brother and sister-in-law, Walter P. “Jake” and Esther Jacobson.
Gerald is survived by his loving family: wife, Naomi with whom he enjoyed only 60 short years of marriage; daughter Deborah and son-in-law, Randy Van Vleck of Albuquerque, New Mexico, son Jim Jacobson of Overland Park, Kansas, daughter, Lisa Jacobson of Spring Hill, Kansas, grandchildren; Rebecca and Christopher Van Vleck of Albuquerque, New Mexico, sister and brother-in-law the Reverend David and Carol Gabriel of Bigfork, Minnesota, as well as many cherished nieces and nephews.
Gerald’s faith and hope never faltered even in his journey the past several years with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), known to many as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gerald claimed several Biblical passages as his hope during his illness with ALS:
For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Hebrews 13:14
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
The family requests memorial contributions in lieu of flowers in his name to:
ALS Association, Mid-America Chapter
Kansas City Office
6950 Squibb Road, Suite 210
Mission, Kansas 66202 www.alsa-midamerica.org
Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care
10100 West 87th, Suite 100
Overland Park, Kansas 66212 www.kchospice.org
City Union Mission
1100 East 11th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64106 http://cityunionmission.org
Hillcrest Covenant Church
8801 Nall Avenue
Prairie Village, Kansas 66207-2106 http://hillcrestcov.org
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