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Donald Allen 'Jake' Jacobson, 60
Donald Allen "Jake" Jacobson, 60, died Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2004, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Gillette, Wyo. He was born Dec. 31, 1943, to Erling N. and Lela M. (Grafton) Jacobson in Fargo, N.D.
Jake graduated from high school in Cut Bank in 1962. He attended Montana State University for three years, studying mechanical engineering.
Jake then enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served for a total of 34 years with active and reserve time, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
On May 30, 1980, he married the former Vickie Van Alstine in Las Vegas.
From 1972 until present, Jake worked in the oil fields around the world as a driller, floor hand and mostly as a tool pusher. He worked for various contractors including Amoco, General Well Corporation, Sabre Drilling, Loffland Brothers, Nabors Drilling and, for the last four years, Nucor, based in Riverton, Wyo.
In April of 1996, Jake and Vickie purchased and began operating Mane Attraction Beauty Salon in Lander, Wyo. which is still in operation.
Throughout his military Reserves career, Jake had various deployments, including a year with the 5th Special Forces Group in East Africa, five years operating in Seoul, South Korea, one year based at Fort Clayton, Panama, two years in Quarry Heights, Panama, with the U.S. Security Assistance Program for Central and South America and the Caribbean, and also a one-year deployment with the same program in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Jake was an avid bird hunter, a big supporter of UW Cowboys athletics, a dedicated Denver Broncos fan, and enjoyed listening to and telling tall tales and stories.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Jake is survived by his wife, Vickie, of Lander; son, Andy Jacobson, of Mountain View, North Dakota at the age of 16 and took care of his mother until her death in 1956. Later he worked on the Keogh Ranch, in the oil fields, and was in partnership with his brother Donald in a service station in Billings for some time. He worked at a Moosehead Guest Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in 1965; worked at the Kindred Livestock Barn in Bloomington, Ill., and a welding factory there.
On June 26, 1966, he was united in marriage to Sandra Bressner in Pontiac, Ill., and they bought the CM Quarter Circle Ranch at Kila in 1967. From that marriage, a son, Craig Michael Jore was born on June 26, 1969, who became the love of his life.
He worked for Wilson Construction Co. for a while and then managed Walter Christmas Tree Co. and enjoyed harvesting many wild trees. He was a rancher at heart, loving that way of life. Though hard at times, he always loved what he did for a living. Raising cattle and horses and working the land made him happy. Neighbors would say he was always willing to lend a hand whenever help was needed.
He was a longtime member of the Montana Oldtime Fiddlers Association and loved to play his violins and dance. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell.
His family and closest friends meant everything to him. To his son Craig, Cliff was his role model, teacher, inspiration and true best friend. I love you Dad and will miss you so very much.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers and sisters, Selmer, Hazel, Cora, Lydia, Ernest and Arthur.
He is survived by his son, Craig Jore of Kila; a brother, Donald Jore of Billings, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service for Clifford Jore will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell. There will be no visitation.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be sent to the First Presbyterian Church 540 South Main Street Kalispell, MT 59901 or the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, 3499 Hwy. 93 N. Kalispell, MT 59901 or to the charity of the donor's choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Johnson Mortuary & Crematory.
Shirley Jean Backer, 59
Shirley Jean Backer, 59, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2005, at Brendan House in Kalispell. She was born June 23, 1945, in West Sacramento, Washington state for the next 10 years before striking out on his own as a musician and singer.
His professional musical career ended in Kalispell in 1938. Without a job and broke, he landed a job as a chore boy at the M-Lazy-B ranch in Marian. He spent the next nine years as a cowboy. Some of his favorite stories were about his times as a real life cowboy: chasing wild horses, herding cattle in the Big Draw, and managing an all-girl dude ranch during the summer months.
While at the ranch he met and married Mary Lou Billmayer of Kalispell in 1946, hand-built a log house and had his first son. After spending 1948 in Kerrville, Colo., Gary Benson and Kathrin of Houston, and L.G. Benson and Yanira of Houston; daughter, Wanda Stanford, of Coutts, Alberta; sister, Hazel Baker and George of Hamilton, California, he went back to flying in Montana, first for Plum Creek and subsequently for Johnson Flying Service in Missoula.
In 1961, Chuck began an exemplary 31-year career in banking, as a teller for First Federal. He served as president and managing officer of the organization from 1977 to 1989, during which time the firm went public as First Federal Savings in 1984. Chuck stepped up to the role of chairman and CEO of the institution, by then named Glacier Bank, in 1989, and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1992. He continued as a director until April of 2004.
Beyond his efforts for Glacier Bank itself, Chuck served his industry in various capacities. He was a director for more than a decade of the U.S. League of Savings and Loan Associations, held a three-year term as a director of the regional Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, and served a similar term as a director of the Helena Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
Chuck married Kathryn Jasken nearly 40 years ago, on March 20, 1965. They had two children. Leslie was born in 1968; she is married to Reed Blackburn, and has a stepdaughter, Kirsten. Their home is in Whitefish. Brad was born in 1971; he is married to Corie Bruley. They have two daughters, Maddi and Laci. Their home is in the county, southwest of Kalispell.
Chuck and Kathy have been unselfish contributors to the area's betterment and well-being throughout their marriage, which has been duly recognized by the community. They were designated to receive the United Way Points of Light Award in 2003. Last year, The Flathead Valley Community College Foundation bestowed its Eagle Award on Chuck, and this fall the couple were named recipients of the 33rd Great Chief Award by the Kalispell Area Chamber of Commerce. This designation was stated to honor their civic and volunteer spirit that spans a lifetime and provides a legacy for the community. The citation went on to say that "through their efforts, the Mercords have made the Flathead Valley a better place in which to live and work."
Chuck and Kathy were early supporters of the community college, and were instrumental in its growth and the move to its present campus; Chuck served on its foundation board for years. His other board and community committee memberships included Northwest Healthcare Foundation, the Flathead Lakers, the Hockaday Museum of Art, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, the Central School Museum, the Immanuel Lutheran Development Advisory Committee, the Kalispell Development Corporation, and the Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center [TAAC] in Seattle. Chuck was an active member of the Kalispell Rotary Club for 32 years, and a charter member of Northridge Lutheran Church.
In all his commitments, Chuck was energetic, positive, tenacious and visionary. As a founder of the Kalispell Development Corporation, he drove the facilitating of the Kalispell Center Mall via federal financing through HUD grants. For the Flathead Lakers and other organizations, he worked devotedly to enlist fellow citizens as directors and contributors of time and treasure to pertinent causes. In this way, he fostered elevated energy and accomplishment for many organizations in addition to his own contributions. Most recently, he had worked tirelessly to foster capital gifts in support of the ALERT program as a member of the Northwest Healthcare Foundation, and single-handedly achieved his vision of the beach and picnic area developed along U.S. 93 in Somers, persuading state and local agencies and numerous local citizens to convert a blighted highway border into an attractive and functional community asset.
Chuck's energy and competitiveness were widely recognized. In 1949, he was state Class B hydro champion, and placed second in the 1962 B hydro national championships at Moses Lake, Wash. In 1965 he set a world speed record of 60 mph in C class hydroplane racing in Calif., the Stone Cup in San Francisco Bay, and to competition in the Key West World Competition Regatta.
In addition to his immediate family, Chuck is survived by his brother Brice and sister-in-law Melissa, of Colorado, and their three children and their two grandchildren. Further, Chuck is survived by a legion of friends and fellow contributors to the well-being of Flathead Valley.
Services for Chuck will occur today, Jan. 4, at 3 p.m. at Northridge Lutheran Church in Kalispell. Following, there will be a celebration of his life and reception at the Mackinaw Grill in Somers, at approximately 4:30 p.m.
At the family's request, memorials may be sent to Northwest Healthcare Foundation, 310 Sunnyview Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901 with designation to the ALERT program or the cancer center; to Flathead Valley Community College Foundation at 777 Grandview Drive, Kalispell, MT 59901; or to the Flathead Lakers, P.O. Box 70, Polson, MT 59860.
Eugene Carlos Sempf, 73
Eugene Carlos Sempf, 73, a former resident of Kalispell, died Sept. 20, 2004, at his residence in Anchorage, Alaska.
Eugene was born Sept. 28, 1930, in Kalispell. He graduated from Flathead High School.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1950 to 1953.
Eugene became a resident of Alaska in the late 1950s and worked on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline and as a commercial fisherman.
He loved football and baseball. He also enjoyed fishing and was an avid reader.
He was a member of VFW Post 10252 and was retired from the Laborers Union.
Eugene is survived by his nieces, Denise Miller of Virginia Beach, Va., and Deborah Starin of Las Vegas; and his nephew, Daryl Sempf, of Kila.
A graveside service with military honors was held at Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Anchorage.
No local services are planned.
Arrangements were with Witzleben Family Funeral Homes in Anchorage.
