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Shirley Elaine Vanderham Jacobsen

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Shirley Elaine Vanderham Jacobsen

Birth	:	24 Sep 1926 Platte, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, USA
Death	:	12 Nov 2017 Newton, Jasper County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Ireton, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.9681015, -96.3143997
Description	:	Shirley Elaine (Vanderham, Eilers) Jacobsen lived a full life of 91 plus years filled with family, friends and music. It was a good life, but not an easy one. Funeral services will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars on Friday, November 17th at 10:30 a.m. with burial at the Ireton Pleasant Hill Cemetery. A luncheon will be served at St. John’s Church in Le Mars immediately following the ceremony. The grave site service in Ireton will follow the luncheon. The family will be gathering at the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars on... Read More	Shirley Elaine (Vanderham, Eilers) Jacobsen lived a full life of 91 plus years filled with family, friends and music. It was a good life, but not an easy one. Funeral services will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars on Friday, November 17th at 10:30 a.m. with burial at the Ireton Pleasant Hill Cemetery. A luncheon will be served at St. John’s Church in Le Mars immediately following the ceremony. The grave site service in Ireton will follow the luncheon. The family will be gathering at the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars on Thursday, November 16th from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Please join the family for an evening of memories and fellowship. They invite all of Shirley’s many friends and neighbors to stop by to say a final goodbye to a good friend and one strong lady. Shirley was born September 24, 1926 in Platte, SD to Fred M. and F. Kathryn (Davis) Vanderham. She spent her early years growing up in the poverty, drought-stricken dust bowl conditions of depression era Eastern South Dakota. There she forged an iron will and never give up attitude, learned the value of hard work and the strength of family and faith. Her family later moved to a farm north of Le Mars, IA in hope of finding better land and more rain. Shirley graduated from Le Mars High School in 1944 with a Normal Training Certificate and taught rural school for two years in Sherman Township #7 (near Maurice, IA). Shirley maintained a lifelong belief in the value of education and was most proud of the fact that all of her children received a college education with some achieving advanced degrees. Shirley was active in her church throughout her life having been baptized into the Lutheran faith in Platte, SD and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars, IA. For years Shirley served as organist and pianist at the Lutheran Churches in Ireton and Craig, IA and played for many weddings, funerals and other functions at numerous churches throughout the area. She taught Sunday school and served on the church council at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Craig. Shirley married Wilbur G. Eilers on November 26, 1945. They raised three sons: Thomas, Mark and Gregory. The family lived in Ireton where they operated Eilers Farm Service – a retail feed and seed store, with portable grinding services, seasonal greenhouse and floral shop, plus bait and tackle supplies. Following Wilbur’s death on June 11, 1964 Shirley was left to run the family business and raise her three sons. To help with the family finances, she became somewhat of a women’s pioneer in her own right serving as a substitute rural mail carrier on RR# 1 in Ireton, where she navigated countless muddy and snow-packed country roads to make sure the mail was delivered. On November 5, 1966 Shirley married Kenneth L. Jacobsen and they were together for more than 50 years. They had two children: Michael and Robin. They lived in Ireton, Iowa Falls, on a farm 2 miles North of Craig, where they ran a hog confinement and farrowing operation. They also operated Eilers Farm Service in Ireton, Craig and Struble. In addition, during that time Shirley also worked in the evenings as a cook at the Southern Country Steak House in Craig for several years. She was a great cook. Shirley and Ken moved into their home in Le Mars in March 2000. They then moved to Park Centre Retirement Community in Newton, IA to be closer to family in April 2017, where Ken passed away on June 13, 2017. Shirley loved music throughout her life and played piano for several local dance bands over the years, including “Swing and Sweat with Leland Fett”, “Two Hits and a Mrs.”, and most recently with her group “The Remnants” who entertained at nursing homes in Plymouth and Sioux counties. Shirley loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren – to her there was nothing more important than family. She was also a great fisherman, and enjoyed gardening, travelling, entertaining, cooking, sewing and crocheting (when she could find time). Shirley suffered a massive heart attack in December 2002 and was saved by open heart surgery performed by a miraculous heart surgeon, Dr. Allen in Sioux City. He said following surgery that “Grafting the new arteries in place was like trying to sew tissue paper together”, but he did it and she went on to live another 15 wonderful years. Shirley passed away quietly in her sleep at the Park Centre Retirement Community in Newton, IA on November 12, 2017 surrounded by family. The end of a life well lived, leaving behind a family much loved and well raised. She was preceded in death by husbands Wilbur and Kenneth, her parents, her brother Marvin Vanderham, and son Mark Eilers. Shirley is survived by four children: Thomas J Eilers (Virginia), Gregory J Eilers (Shari), Michael K Jacobsen (Colleen), and Robin K Moore (Matt); daughter-in-law Marsha Eilers (Mark); ten grandchildren (Jay Eilers, Jennifer Easley, Sky Eilers, Katie Fleming, Jacki Buckingham, Collin Jacobsen, Michaela Jacobsen, and Courtney Jacobsen, and Colton and Savanna Moore); and ten great grandchildren. [Courtesy: Rexwinkel Funeral Home; Le Mars, IA]

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Shirley Elaine Vanderham Jacobsen's memorial?
Shirley Elaine Vanderham Jacobsen's memorial is located at: Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Ireton, Sioux County, USA.
When did Shirley Elaine Vanderham Jacobsen death?
Shirley Elaine Vanderham Jacobsen death on 12 Nov 2017 in Newton, Jasper County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Shirley Elaine Vanderham Jacobsen's memorial?
Latitude: 42.9681015
Longitude: -96.3143997

Family Members:

Parent

Frederick Martin “Fred” Vanderham

(1896 - 1985)

Kathryn Florence “Katie” Davis Vanderham

(1902 - 1985)

Spouse

Wilbur Gene Eilers

(1922 - 1964)

Kenneth Lee “Ken” Jacobsen

(1937 - 2017)

Siblings

Children

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Ireton, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9681015, -96.3143997

2. Saint John Lutheran Cemetery
Ireton, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9585991, -96.2550201

3. Union Hill German Baptist Cemetery
Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9169006, -96.3324966

4. Saint Johns Cemetery
Craig, Plymouth County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8939018, -96.3225021

5. Highland Cemetery
Highland Park, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0546989, -96.3510971

6. Saint Marys Cemetery
Maurice, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9594002, -96.1769028

7. Saint Joseph Cemetery
Struble, Plymouth County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8953018, -96.2005997

8. Christ Lutheran Church Cemetery
Le Mars, Plymouth County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8514600, -96.2902600

9. Grace Hill Cemetery
Hawarden, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0052986, -96.4708023

10. Sherman Township Cemetery
Maurice, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9667015, -96.1444016

11. Peace Lutheran Cemetery
Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0989494, -96.2924118

12. Lebanon Christian Church Cemetery
Sioux Center, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0996700, -96.3578300

13. Saint Johns Lutheran Church Cemetery
Ruble, Plymouth County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8372000, -96.3799000

14. Memory Gardens Sioux Center Cemetery
Sioux Center, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0680000, -96.1720000

15. Plymouth Presbyterian Cemetery
Brunsville, Plymouth County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8208760, -96.3318410

16. Saint Peter Cemetery
Brunsville, Plymouth County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8081017, -96.2767029

17. Resthaven Cemetery
Le Mars, Plymouth County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8375015, -96.1686020

18. Carmel Reformed Church Cemetery
Carmel, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1280000, -96.2295000

19. Seney Cemetery
Seney, Plymouth County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8586655, -96.1265106

20. Pleasant Valley Cemetery
Union County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0261002, -96.5453033

21. West Lawn Cemetery
Orange City, Sioux County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0110970, -96.0653000

22. Old Big Springs Cemetery
Big Springs, Union County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9455986, -96.5868988

23. Mount Hope Cemetery
Union County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8885994, -96.5667038

24. Eden Cemetery
Hudson, Lincoln County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1343994, -96.4692001