Lifelong local resident Phillip R. Jacobs, 82, of Kelso passed away Dec. 1, 2011, at Western State Hospital in Lakewood, Wash.
He was born Sept. 12, 1929, in Carrolls, to Jess and Lola (Drury) Jacobs and graduated from Kelso High School in 1947.
On July 20, 1949, he married Nancy Ann White at the Kalama United Methodist Church. She survives him at home.
Phillip worked for Reynolds Aluminum, Pope & Talbot, Weyerhaeuser and the Courtyard Apartments before retiring as a caretaker at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Phillip enjoyed spending time with family and friends, mowing his several-acre lawn, and projects around the house. He rarely sat still for long. He also enjoyed music, collecting rare coins, the beach, and fishing and hunting in his youth.
He was a history buff and loved reading about it. He was friendly and was often caught whistling or singing while he worked. He loved animals and always had dogs as pets, and often took in stray cats that adopted him. He was an excellent host at parties or at home, and always tried to make his guests feel comfortable. He was a great father and grandfather, and loved his children and grandchildren dearly.
Phillip was diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) this year which ultimately took his life.
In addition to his wife, Nancy Jacobs, Phillip is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Susan Jacobs of Kelso; a daughter and son-in-law, Amber and Laszlo Bedegi III of Eagle, Idaho; a daughter-in-law, Linda Jacobs of Kelso; six grandsons, Christopher Jacobs of Spokane, Brady (L.B.) Jacobs of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Jestin Jacobs of Palmer, Alaska, Darrick Jacobs of Castle Rock, and Blaine Bedegi and Keaton Bedegi, both of Eagle; a granddaughter, Molly Martin of Kelso; 10 great-grandchildren, Jalen, Aiden, Griffin, Kylee, Anthen, Spencer, Wyatt, Delilah, River and Joey; four sisters, Shirley, Colleen, Georgie and Joan; two brothers, Richard and Tex; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two sons, Randy Jacobs and Brady Jacobs; an infant daughter, Nancy Jacobs; and two brothers, Jesse and Keith Jacobs.
A celebration of Phillip's life is planned for family and friends at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Kalama United Methodist Church.
Arrangements are by Columbia Funeral Service.
FAMILY ADMITTED TRIBUTE:
Sunday Obituary: Phillip Jacobs took great care of Carrolls cemetery and his family. Phillip Jacobs loved mowing the grass.
Not only did he keep his own 5-acre property in rural Kelso groomed like a city park, he also spent roughly 30 years mowing Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Carrolls after work and on weekends.
Perched on a hilltop with views of Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River and the Kalama River, the old cemetery was so overgrown when Jacobs was hired as caretaker in the late 1960s that "you couldn't even see the tombstones," said his daughter, Amber Bedegi, 47.
"It was a cow pasture," said his wife, Nancy Jacobs, 80. "He turned it into a beautiful, beautiful cemetery."
Now, he will be buried there. Phillip Jacobs died Dec. 1 at Western State Hospital at the age of 82.
He was born in Carrolls on Sept. 12, 1929, to Lola (Drury) and Jess Jacobs, a shingle weaver. The seventh of nine children, Phillip attended Carrolls School and graduated from Kelso High School in 1947.
He met his wife through a friend when Nancy was a senior in high school. By then Phillip, two years older, was working at Reynolds Metals.
Nancy Jacobs recalled the first time she saw her future husband: He was standing shirtless in the back of a truck, lifting a load.
"He was tan, and I thought he was beautiful," she said.
His chiseled face and lean physique gave him a movie-star look, said his daughter, who thought he resembled James Dean. Her dad, however, thought he looked more like Clint Eastwood, Bedegi said.
Nancy and Phillip married on July 20, 1949, at Kalama United Methodist Church.
"I liked his smile. And he was fun to be with. I fell in love with him, I guess," Nancy Jacobs said. "He's always been a very, very gentle, kind person. I always felt safe with him all my life."
Phillip and his father built a home for the new bride on a 5-acre lot on Mount Pleasant Road, about half a mile up the hill from where Phillip was born. The first of their five children was born in 1950. One of them, a baby girl named Nancy, did not live past infancy.
Jacobs worked in plywood mills, first at Pope & Talbot and then Weyerhaeuser Co. For several years, he was groundskeeper of The Courtyard Apartments on 30th Avenue in Longview.
A quiet man, Phillip Jacobs was happiest when he was busy. He had a collection of classical music and old record albums by artists such as Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and the Eagles. He often whistled or sang while he worked, whether he was building something, remodeling the house, mowing, cutting wood or tending his vegetable and flower garden.
"He was just one of those people who would go, go, go all the time. He was definitely not lazy," Nancy Jacobs said.
Phillip Jacobs was a devoted father to his children. He would rush to their side for events big and small: a flat tire or the birth of a grandchild. Bedegi, his youngest child, recalled that for years he would bring treats such as packets of cheese and crackers home for her in his big lunchbox from the vending machine at work.
"He was always there in the important times of my life," said Bedegi, of Eagle, Idaho. "He was just very loving, a very sweet man."
Jacobs liked animals and always had dogs. For awhile, the family raised its own beef, and Jacobs had a favorite cow named Mooley that he bred every year. When he decided to get rid of his cattle, he sold Mooley — a move he deeply regretted because the cow died shortly after joining her new herd, his wife said.
"He loved that cow. ... She was a pet," Nancy Jacobs said.
Throughout those years, he was working part time at the cemetery, a job he held until age 70.
His daughter remembered going with him as a child to the scenic hilltop "in the rain and the cold. He would bring a big Thermos of coffee, and I would help him drink the coffee," Bedegi said.
"He sure turned it around out there," she said. "He loved it."
He was born Sept. 12, 1929, in Carrolls, to Jess and Lola (Drury) Jacobs and graduated from Kelso High School in 1947.
On July 20, 1949, he married Nancy Ann White at the Kalama United Methodist Church. She survives him at home.
Phillip worked for Reynolds Aluminum, Pope & Talbot, Weyerhaeuser and the Courtyard Apartments before retiring as a caretaker at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Phillip enjoyed spending time with family and friends, mowing his several-acre lawn, and projects around the house. He rarely sat still for long. He also enjoyed music, collecting rare coins, the beach, and fishing and hunting in his youth.
He was a history buff and loved reading about it. He was friendly and was often caught whistling or singing while he worked. He loved animals and always had dogs as pets, and often took in stray cats that adopted him. He was an excellent host at parties or at home, and always tried to make his guests feel comfortable. He was a great father and grandfather, and loved his children and grandchildren dearly.
Phillip was diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) this year which ultimately took his life.
In addition to his wife, Nancy Jacobs, Phillip is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Susan Jacobs of Kelso; a daughter and son-in-law, Amber and Laszlo Bedegi III of Eagle, Idaho; a daughter-in-law, Linda Jacobs of Kelso; six grandsons, Christopher Jacobs of Spokane, Brady (L.B.) Jacobs of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Jestin Jacobs of Palmer, Alaska, Darrick Jacobs of Castle Rock, and Blaine Bedegi and Keaton Bedegi, both of Eagle; a granddaughter, Molly Martin of Kelso; 10 great-grandchildren, Jalen, Aiden, Griffin, Kylee, Anthen, Spencer, Wyatt, Delilah, River and Joey; four sisters, Shirley, Colleen, Georgie and Joan; two brothers, Richard and Tex; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two sons, Randy Jacobs and Brady Jacobs; an infant daughter, Nancy Jacobs; and two brothers, Jesse and Keith Jacobs.
A celebration of Phillip's life is planned for family and friends at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Kalama United Methodist Church.
Arrangements are by Columbia Funeral Service.
FAMILY ADMITTED TRIBUTE:
Sunday Obituary: Phillip Jacobs took great care of Carrolls cemetery and his family. Phillip Jacobs loved mowing the grass.
Not only did he keep his own 5-acre property in rural Kelso groomed like a city park, he also spent roughly 30 years mowing Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Carrolls after work and on weekends.
Perched on a hilltop with views of Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River and the Kalama River, the old cemetery was so overgrown when Jacobs was hired as caretaker in the late 1960s that "you couldn't even see the tombstones," said his daughter, Amber Bedegi, 47.
"It was a cow pasture," said his wife, Nancy Jacobs, 80. "He turned it into a beautiful, beautiful cemetery."
Now, he will be buried there. Phillip Jacobs died Dec. 1 at Western State Hospital at the age of 82.
He was born in Carrolls on Sept. 12, 1929, to Lola (Drury) and Jess Jacobs, a shingle weaver. The seventh of nine children, Phillip attended Carrolls School and graduated from Kelso High School in 1947.
He met his wife through a friend when Nancy was a senior in high school. By then Phillip, two years older, was working at Reynolds Metals.
Nancy Jacobs recalled the first time she saw her future husband: He was standing shirtless in the back of a truck, lifting a load.
"He was tan, and I thought he was beautiful," she said.
His chiseled face and lean physique gave him a movie-star look, said his daughter, who thought he resembled James Dean. Her dad, however, thought he looked more like Clint Eastwood, Bedegi said.
Nancy and Phillip married on July 20, 1949, at Kalama United Methodist Church.
"I liked his smile. And he was fun to be with. I fell in love with him, I guess," Nancy Jacobs said. "He's always been a very, very gentle, kind person. I always felt safe with him all my life."
Phillip and his father built a home for the new bride on a 5-acre lot on Mount Pleasant Road, about half a mile up the hill from where Phillip was born. The first of their five children was born in 1950. One of them, a baby girl named Nancy, did not live past infancy.
Jacobs worked in plywood mills, first at Pope & Talbot and then Weyerhaeuser Co. For several years, he was groundskeeper of The Courtyard Apartments on 30th Avenue in Longview.
A quiet man, Phillip Jacobs was happiest when he was busy. He had a collection of classical music and old record albums by artists such as Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and the Eagles. He often whistled or sang while he worked, whether he was building something, remodeling the house, mowing, cutting wood or tending his vegetable and flower garden.
"He was just one of those people who would go, go, go all the time. He was definitely not lazy," Nancy Jacobs said.
Phillip Jacobs was a devoted father to his children. He would rush to their side for events big and small: a flat tire or the birth of a grandchild. Bedegi, his youngest child, recalled that for years he would bring treats such as packets of cheese and crackers home for her in his big lunchbox from the vending machine at work.
"He was always there in the important times of my life," said Bedegi, of Eagle, Idaho. "He was just very loving, a very sweet man."
Jacobs liked animals and always had dogs. For awhile, the family raised its own beef, and Jacobs had a favorite cow named Mooley that he bred every year. When he decided to get rid of his cattle, he sold Mooley — a move he deeply regretted because the cow died shortly after joining her new herd, his wife said.
"He loved that cow. ... She was a pet," Nancy Jacobs said.
Throughout those years, he was working part time at the cemetery, a job he held until age 70.
His daughter remembered going with him as a child to the scenic hilltop "in the rain and the cold. He would bring a big Thermos of coffee, and I would help him drink the coffee," Bedegi said.
"He sure turned it around out there," she said. "He loved it."
Lifelong local resident Phillip R. Jacobs, 82, of Kelso passed away Dec. 1, 2011, at Western State Hospital in Lakewood, Wash.
He was born Sept. 12, 1929, in Carrolls, to Jess and Lola (Drury) Jacobs and graduated from Kelso High School in 1947.
On July 20, 1949, he married Nancy Ann White at the Kalama United Methodist Church. She survives him at home.
Phillip worked for Reynolds Aluminum, Pope & Talbot, Weyerhaeuser and the Courtyard Apartments before retiring as a caretaker at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Phillip enjoyed spending time with family and friends, mowing his several-acre lawn, and projects around the house. He rarely sat still for long. He also enjoyed music, collecting rare coins, the beach, and fishing and hunting in his youth.
He was a history buff and loved reading about it. He was friendly and was often caught whistling or singing while he worked. He loved animals and always had dogs as pets, and often took in stray cats that adopted him. He was an excellent host at parties or at home, and always tried to make his guests feel comfortable. He was a great father and grandfather, and loved his children and grandchildren dearly.
Phillip was diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) this year which ultimately took his life.
In addition to his wife, Nancy Jacobs, Phillip is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Susan Jacobs of Kelso; a daughter and son-in-law, Amber and Laszlo Bedegi III of Eagle, Idaho; a daughter-in-law, Linda Jacobs of Kelso; six grandsons, Christopher Jacobs of Spokane, Brady (L.B.) Jacobs of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Jestin Jacobs of Palmer, Alaska, Darrick Jacobs of Castle Rock, and Blaine Bedegi and Keaton Bedegi, both of Eagle; a granddaughter, Molly Martin of Kelso; 10 great-grandchildren, Jalen, Aiden, Griffin, Kylee, Anthen, Spencer, Wyatt, Delilah, River and Joey; four sisters, Shirley, Colleen, Georgie and Joan; two brothers, Richard and Tex; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two sons, Randy Jacobs and Brady Jacobs; an infant daughter, Nancy Jacobs; and two brothers, Jesse and Keith Jacobs.
A celebration of Phillip's life is planned for family and friends at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Kalama United Methodist Church.
Arrangements are by Columbia Funeral Service.
FAMILY ADMITTED TRIBUTE:
Sunday Obituary: Phillip Jacobs took great care of Carrolls cemetery and his family. Phillip Jacobs loved mowing the grass.
Not only did he keep his own 5-acre property in rural Kelso groomed like a city park, he also spent roughly 30 years mowing Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Carrolls after work and on weekends.
Perched on a hilltop with views of Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River and the Kalama River, the old cemetery was so overgrown when Jacobs was hired as caretaker in the late 1960s that "you couldn't even see the tombstones," said his daughter, Amber Bedegi, 47.
"It was a cow pasture," said his wife, Nancy Jacobs, 80. "He turned it into a beautiful, beautiful cemetery."
Now, he will be buried there. Phillip Jacobs died Dec. 1 at Western State Hospital at the age of 82.
He was born in Carrolls on Sept. 12, 1929, to Lola (Drury) and Jess Jacobs, a shingle weaver. The seventh of nine children, Phillip attended Carrolls School and graduated from Kelso High School in 1947.
He met his wife through a friend when Nancy was a senior in high school. By then Phillip, two years older, was working at Reynolds Metals.
Nancy Jacobs recalled the first time she saw her future husband: He was standing shirtless in the back of a truck, lifting a load.
"He was tan, and I thought he was beautiful," she said.
His chiseled face and lean physique gave him a movie-star look, said his daughter, who thought he resembled James Dean. Her dad, however, thought he looked more like Clint Eastwood, Bedegi said.
Nancy and Phillip married on July 20, 1949, at Kalama United Methodist Church.
"I liked his smile. And he was fun to be with. I fell in love with him, I guess," Nancy Jacobs said. "He's always been a very, very gentle, kind person. I always felt safe with him all my life."
Phillip and his father built a home for the new bride on a 5-acre lot on Mount Pleasant Road, about half a mile up the hill from where Phillip was born. The first of their five children was born in 1950. One of them, a baby girl named Nancy, did not live past infancy.
Jacobs worked in plywood mills, first at Pope & Talbot and then Weyerhaeuser Co. For several years, he was groundskeeper of The Courtyard Apartments on 30th Avenue in Longview.
A quiet man, Phillip Jacobs was happiest when he was busy. He had a collection of classical music and old record albums by artists such as Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and the Eagles. He often whistled or sang while he worked, whether he was building something, remodeling the house, mowing, cutting wood or tending his vegetable and flower garden.
"He was just one of those people who would go, go, go all the time. He was definitely not lazy," Nancy Jacobs said.
Phillip Jacobs was a devoted father to his children. He would rush to their side for events big and small: a flat tire or the birth of a grandchild. Bedegi, his youngest child, recalled that for years he would bring treats such as packets of cheese and crackers home for her in his big lunchbox from the vending machine at work.
"He was always there in the important times of my life," said Bedegi, of Eagle, Idaho. "He was just very loving, a very sweet man."
Jacobs liked animals and always had dogs. For awhile, the family raised its own beef, and Jacobs had a favorite cow named Mooley that he bred every year. When he decided to get rid of his cattle, he sold Mooley — a move he deeply regretted because the cow died shortly after joining her new herd, his wife said.
"He loved that cow. ... She was a pet," Nancy Jacobs said.
Throughout those years, he was working part time at the cemetery, a job he held until age 70.
His daughter remembered going with him as a child to the scenic hilltop "in the rain and the cold. He would bring a big Thermos of coffee, and I would help him drink the coffee," Bedegi said.
"He sure turned it around out there," she said. "He loved it."
He was born Sept. 12, 1929, in Carrolls, to Jess and Lola (Drury) Jacobs and graduated from Kelso High School in 1947.
On July 20, 1949, he married Nancy Ann White at the Kalama United Methodist Church. She survives him at home.
Phillip worked for Reynolds Aluminum, Pope & Talbot, Weyerhaeuser and the Courtyard Apartments before retiring as a caretaker at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Phillip enjoyed spending time with family and friends, mowing his several-acre lawn, and projects around the house. He rarely sat still for long. He also enjoyed music, collecting rare coins, the beach, and fishing and hunting in his youth.
He was a history buff and loved reading about it. He was friendly and was often caught whistling or singing while he worked. He loved animals and always had dogs as pets, and often took in stray cats that adopted him. He was an excellent host at parties or at home, and always tried to make his guests feel comfortable. He was a great father and grandfather, and loved his children and grandchildren dearly.
Phillip was diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) this year which ultimately took his life.
In addition to his wife, Nancy Jacobs, Phillip is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Susan Jacobs of Kelso; a daughter and son-in-law, Amber and Laszlo Bedegi III of Eagle, Idaho; a daughter-in-law, Linda Jacobs of Kelso; six grandsons, Christopher Jacobs of Spokane, Brady (L.B.) Jacobs of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Jestin Jacobs of Palmer, Alaska, Darrick Jacobs of Castle Rock, and Blaine Bedegi and Keaton Bedegi, both of Eagle; a granddaughter, Molly Martin of Kelso; 10 great-grandchildren, Jalen, Aiden, Griffin, Kylee, Anthen, Spencer, Wyatt, Delilah, River and Joey; four sisters, Shirley, Colleen, Georgie and Joan; two brothers, Richard and Tex; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two sons, Randy Jacobs and Brady Jacobs; an infant daughter, Nancy Jacobs; and two brothers, Jesse and Keith Jacobs.
A celebration of Phillip's life is planned for family and friends at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Kalama United Methodist Church.
Arrangements are by Columbia Funeral Service.
FAMILY ADMITTED TRIBUTE:
Sunday Obituary: Phillip Jacobs took great care of Carrolls cemetery and his family. Phillip Jacobs loved mowing the grass.
Not only did he keep his own 5-acre property in rural Kelso groomed like a city park, he also spent roughly 30 years mowing Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Carrolls after work and on weekends.
Perched on a hilltop with views of Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River and the Kalama River, the old cemetery was so overgrown when Jacobs was hired as caretaker in the late 1960s that "you couldn't even see the tombstones," said his daughter, Amber Bedegi, 47.
"It was a cow pasture," said his wife, Nancy Jacobs, 80. "He turned it into a beautiful, beautiful cemetery."
Now, he will be buried there. Phillip Jacobs died Dec. 1 at Western State Hospital at the age of 82.
He was born in Carrolls on Sept. 12, 1929, to Lola (Drury) and Jess Jacobs, a shingle weaver. The seventh of nine children, Phillip attended Carrolls School and graduated from Kelso High School in 1947.
He met his wife through a friend when Nancy was a senior in high school. By then Phillip, two years older, was working at Reynolds Metals.
Nancy Jacobs recalled the first time she saw her future husband: He was standing shirtless in the back of a truck, lifting a load.
"He was tan, and I thought he was beautiful," she said.
His chiseled face and lean physique gave him a movie-star look, said his daughter, who thought he resembled James Dean. Her dad, however, thought he looked more like Clint Eastwood, Bedegi said.
Nancy and Phillip married on July 20, 1949, at Kalama United Methodist Church.
"I liked his smile. And he was fun to be with. I fell in love with him, I guess," Nancy Jacobs said. "He's always been a very, very gentle, kind person. I always felt safe with him all my life."
Phillip and his father built a home for the new bride on a 5-acre lot on Mount Pleasant Road, about half a mile up the hill from where Phillip was born. The first of their five children was born in 1950. One of them, a baby girl named Nancy, did not live past infancy.
Jacobs worked in plywood mills, first at Pope & Talbot and then Weyerhaeuser Co. For several years, he was groundskeeper of The Courtyard Apartments on 30th Avenue in Longview.
A quiet man, Phillip Jacobs was happiest when he was busy. He had a collection of classical music and old record albums by artists such as Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and the Eagles. He often whistled or sang while he worked, whether he was building something, remodeling the house, mowing, cutting wood or tending his vegetable and flower garden.
"He was just one of those people who would go, go, go all the time. He was definitely not lazy," Nancy Jacobs said.
Phillip Jacobs was a devoted father to his children. He would rush to their side for events big and small: a flat tire or the birth of a grandchild. Bedegi, his youngest child, recalled that for years he would bring treats such as packets of cheese and crackers home for her in his big lunchbox from the vending machine at work.
"He was always there in the important times of my life," said Bedegi, of Eagle, Idaho. "He was just very loving, a very sweet man."
Jacobs liked animals and always had dogs. For awhile, the family raised its own beef, and Jacobs had a favorite cow named Mooley that he bred every year. When he decided to get rid of his cattle, he sold Mooley — a move he deeply regretted because the cow died shortly after joining her new herd, his wife said.
"He loved that cow. ... She was a pet," Nancy Jacobs said.
Throughout those years, he was working part time at the cemetery, a job he held until age 70.
His daughter remembered going with him as a child to the scenic hilltop "in the rain and the cold. He would bring a big Thermos of coffee, and I would help him drink the coffee," Bedegi said.
"He sure turned it around out there," she said. "He loved it."
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
