Walter Wellington Jacobsen was born at 1061 W. Madison Street in Chicago, Illinois. He arrived quickly before the doctor or midwife showed up. Throughout his life, he lived at various other locations on the West Side. In 1917, his father died and in 1918 he registered for the draft. He was of medium height and build, and had brown hair and eyes. He was living with his mother at 4822 W. Huron Street and working as a chauffer for John J. Wolff. In 1920, he was working as a machinist in a machine shop. In 1927, he met Marie and they were married on December 27th of that year. By 1930, they had two children, were living at 4845 Chicago Avenue and Walter was a painting contractor. Before 1935, they moved to 639 Lotus Avenue. In 1941, they still lived there and they now had six children.
As a sideline, Walter invented and fabricated cemetery blankets with a slat framework and evergreens sewed on. The family sold the cemetery blankets and wreaths out of a wagon at Cicero and Roosevelt. In 1941, in order to find larger quarters, they purchased a building on Chicago Avenue that had been a restaurant and had an apartment upstairs. Walter renovated the whole apartment and replaced the bathroom. Since they had the storefront downstairs, they decided to open a flower shop and Jacobsen's Floral Shop was born. A seventh child, Robert, was born in the upstairs apartment in 1943. As the business grew, Walter gave up painting and wallpapering and shifted his efforts to the business. Marie became the primary florist. Walter later renovated the whole storefront and also did the delivering.
Walter was also a skilled carpenter and plasterer. He enjoyed fishing for perch in Lake Michigan and for Walleye and Northern Pike in Ely, Minnesota. He enjoyed stopping to read historical markers while on vacations. Walter was a good swimmer and diver, an excellent violinist and a good cook.
As a sideline, Walter invented and fabricated cemetery blankets with a slat framework and evergreens sewed on. The family sold the cemetery blankets and wreaths out of a wagon at Cicero and Roosevelt. In 1941, in order to find larger quarters, they purchased a building on Chicago Avenue that had been a restaurant and had an apartment upstairs. Walter renovated the whole apartment and replaced the bathroom. Since they had the storefront downstairs, they decided to open a flower shop and Jacobsen's Floral Shop was born. A seventh child, Robert, was born in the upstairs apartment in 1943. As the business grew, Walter gave up painting and wallpapering and shifted his efforts to the business. Marie became the primary florist. Walter later renovated the whole storefront and also did the delivering.
Walter was also a skilled carpenter and plasterer. He enjoyed fishing for perch in Lake Michigan and for Walleye and Northern Pike in Ely, Minnesota. He enjoyed stopping to read historical markers while on vacations. Walter was a good swimmer and diver, an excellent violinist and a good cook.
Walter Wellington Jacobsen was born at 1061 W. Madison Street in Chicago, Illinois. He arrived quickly before the doctor or midwife showed up. Throughout his life, he lived at various other locations on the West Side. In 1917, his father died and in 1918 he registered for the draft. He was of medium height and build, and had brown hair and eyes. He was living with his mother at 4822 W. Huron Street and working as a chauffer for John J. Wolff. In 1920, he was working as a machinist in a machine shop. In 1927, he met Marie and they were married on December 27th of that year. By 1930, they had two children, were living at 4845 Chicago Avenue and Walter was a painting contractor. Before 1935, they moved to 639 Lotus Avenue. In 1941, they still lived there and they now had six children.
As a sideline, Walter invented and fabricated cemetery blankets with a slat framework and evergreens sewed on. The family sold the cemetery blankets and wreaths out of a wagon at Cicero and Roosevelt. In 1941, in order to find larger quarters, they purchased a building on Chicago Avenue that had been a restaurant and had an apartment upstairs. Walter renovated the whole apartment and replaced the bathroom. Since they had the storefront downstairs, they decided to open a flower shop and Jacobsen's Floral Shop was born. A seventh child, Robert, was born in the upstairs apartment in 1943. As the business grew, Walter gave up painting and wallpapering and shifted his efforts to the business. Marie became the primary florist. Walter later renovated the whole storefront and also did the delivering.
Walter was also a skilled carpenter and plasterer. He enjoyed fishing for perch in Lake Michigan and for Walleye and Northern Pike in Ely, Minnesota. He enjoyed stopping to read historical markers while on vacations. Walter was a good swimmer and diver, an excellent violinist and a good cook.
As a sideline, Walter invented and fabricated cemetery blankets with a slat framework and evergreens sewed on. The family sold the cemetery blankets and wreaths out of a wagon at Cicero and Roosevelt. In 1941, in order to find larger quarters, they purchased a building on Chicago Avenue that had been a restaurant and had an apartment upstairs. Walter renovated the whole apartment and replaced the bathroom. Since they had the storefront downstairs, they decided to open a flower shop and Jacobsen's Floral Shop was born. A seventh child, Robert, was born in the upstairs apartment in 1943. As the business grew, Walter gave up painting and wallpapering and shifted his efforts to the business. Marie became the primary florist. Walter later renovated the whole storefront and also did the delivering.
Walter was also a skilled carpenter and plasterer. He enjoyed fishing for perch in Lake Michigan and for Walleye and Northern Pike in Ely, Minnesota. He enjoyed stopping to read historical markers while on vacations. Walter was a good swimmer and diver, an excellent violinist and a good cook.
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