Roberta Jo Jacobson

Roberta (Bobbie Jo) Jacobson was born in a cabin near Mizpah, in northern
Minnesota on April 15, 1951, the fourth of nine children to Clifton and Martha
Williams. She often told people that when she was born, she was weighed on a
milk scale, and that she weighed “nine pounds of milk”. Her father delivered her
the night that she was born. The family doctor scolded him telling him that in the
future he should take her mother to the hospital to deliver her babies. She shared
many stories of her young years in Mizpah. These were difficult years for the
family, but she enjoyed sharing many of her memories as a young child starting
school and playing in the woods and area around the small town of Mizpah. She
was a sickly child and was diagnosed with COPD from the time she was a baby.
She learned to fight her disease from the very beginning, refusing to feel sorry for
herself, slipping out to play with the other kids when she should have been in
bed. She always had a positive attitude even as a small child.

When Bobbie was 10 years old the family moved to Watertown, in central
Minnesota. Shortly thereafter, they moved to the neighboring town of Delano,
where she attended Delano High School. The most significant event in Bobbie’s
life took place during her teen years in Delano. She put her faith in Jesus Christ as
her personal Savior and was born again. She had found forgiveness and a new life
in Christ; she began a spiritual journey that continued until the day she went
home to heaven.

One day in October when she was 16 years old, she met Lonnie Jacobson,
who had come by the house looking for a friend. There was an immediate
connection when she grabbed his car keys and climbed a tree. Bobbie was an
outgoing and vivacious girl who was intelligent, pretty, and could be mischievous.
This encounter led to a romantic dating period between Bobbie and Lonnie. They
were later engaged while she was still in high school and three weeks after her
graduation they were married on June 28, 1969.

Their first baby, April, was born 15 months later. Bobbie was pregnant with
their second child, Paul, in June of 1971 when Lonnie was drafted by the Army. At
that time Army draftees were going directly to Viet Nam. Because he was married
with one child and a second on the way he was counselled to join the Air Force
instead. Bobbie and Lonnie spent the next four years in the military, one of which
included a year- long forced separation. This was a very difficult year for Bobbie
with little income and two small children to care for. She faced the challenge with
faith and courage which was characteristic of her entire life.

When Lonnie was discharged in 1975 the couple moved to Ankeny, Iowa
where they both attended Faith Baptist Bible College. Even though a young
mother, she not only attended classes but also worked part time to help with the
family’s expenses. When her husband graduated in 1978 they moved from Iowa
to Washington State where Lonnie attended Northwest Baptist Seminary and
Bobbie continued her education at Washington Baptist Teacher’s College in
Tacoma where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. That same year they
moved to Kent, Washington where she became a Pastor’s wife as they began their
pastoral ministry at East Hill Baptist Church. Besides serving alongside Lonnie in
the church ministry she took her first teaching position at Seattle Regular Baptist
School in Burien, Washington. During their time in Kent. they became foster
parents to several teenagers. Two of whom, Michael and Ted, they adopted as
adults when they turned 18. During this period she also taught at her alma mater,
Washington Baptist Teacher’s College. In 1986. they were called to Juanita Baptist
Church in Kirkland, Washington. While in Kirkland, Bobbie pursued further
education at Seattle Pacific University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree
in 1989, and her Master of Education in 1991.

In 1990 Lonnie and Bobbie moved to Bremerton, Washington where Bobbie
began work teaching science and math at Bremerton Middle School and later at
Bremerton High School. She gained the respect of the administration, fellow
teachers, students, and parents as an outstanding teacher. She earned several
honors while teaching in Bremerton, including State Teacher of the Year and
Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

In 1997 the couple moved to Sequim, Washington where they began their
final full-time church ministry and where Bobbie taught at Monroe Middle School
in Port Angeles and later at the Port Angeles High School. Bobbie retired from her
teaching career in 2006 due to on-going health concerns with her COPD. She had
taught secondary science and math for 26 years. During these years she not only
taught in private and public schools, but also was a godly and faithful pastor’s
wife who was respected and loved by all the churches where Lonnie and Bobbie
served.

However, Bobbie did not see her greatest achievements in life as a school
teacher nor as a pastor’s wife, but as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great
grandmother. She was deeply devoted to her family and saw her role in the family
as the most important ministry to which God had called her. Besides her living
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren she also adopted their spouses

as part of her family. When asked about how many grandkids and great grandkids
she had she always included a grand son who had died in 2017 and also 8
miscarriages, pointing out that they are all alive in heaven. She was looking
forward to meeting them when God called her home. She was fond of quoting
Acts 13:36 telling people she knew when she would die.

"For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell
asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption."

She died after she had served her generation by the will of God. Bobbie
went home to be with the Lord while at home surrounded by her family on
August 8, 2022.
A celebration of her life will be held at Faith Baptist Church in Sequim at
2:00 PM on Saturday, August 27th . Everyone is welcome to attend.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Roberta Jo Jacobson, please visit our floral store.