Al Jacobs Jr.

Obituary for Alfred Jacobs, Jr.

Alfred Jacobs, Jr. of Fergus Falls passed away on February 14, 2018, at the Pioneer Care Center.

Alfred Jacobs was born August 21, 1922 on a farm outside Elgin, Iowa, the son of Alfred and Marie (Miller) Jacob, and youngest of five children. He attended a one-room schoolhouse near the family home on Bell Creek, and later the Elgin High School. He loved music and learning from an early age. In 1940, he enrolled as a music major at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. During World War II, he left college to work on the family farm. He served in the U.S. Army from 1946-48, stationed in Newfoundland, and then returned to Luther, graduating in 1949 with a B.A. in Music and minor in English. He was a fine singer and pianist, and proficient in all the wind instruments, with a special fondness for the oboe.

Alfred received his M.A. in Music from the University of Iowa on August 5, 1950, and was married to Christabel Adix on August 13 at Mansfield Lutheran Church, rural Alden, MN. They moved to Dows, Iowa, where he had accepted a position as director of the music program. Only a month later, he was called up to active duty as an Army reservist. He served in Japan and Korea in the Tenth Special Service Company’s production of the all-GI musical variety show, “Take Ten,” which toured on two of Japan’s main islands and on allied portions of the Korean peninsula.

He returned to his wife, new daughter, and teaching responsibilities at Dows in September 1951. In August, 1954, the family moved to Fergus Falls, where he became the city’s first full-time band director. By 1964 he had built the program to five bands, with more than 300 students. In 30 years of teaching, he mentored hundreds of musicians. Many of his top students earned places in the All State Band and some became music teachers themselves. While he enjoyed a good Sousa march, his real love was classical music, and his band programs always included symphonic pieces. In 2003, he was inducted into the Fergus Falls Hall of Fame for Distinguished Service. The citation observes that “Jacobs’ goal was to expose his students to fine music, to foster appreciation for music, and to challenge students to achieve their potential. Jacobs’ instruction had a lifelong impact on students, many of whom say their experience in band was the highlight of their school years."

Alfred was very involved in church, community, and profession. He enjoyed singing the role of Balthazar, the Black King, in 1954-56 Schumann Club productions of Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” He directed the Orphean Male Chorus for three years, sang with (and briefly directed) the First Lutheran Senior Choir, and played and sang in many productions at the Community College. He played oboe in the Civic Orchestra and clarinet in the Carlisle Band well into his retirement, and played in the Heart of the Lakes Band – Battle Lake until the age of 90.

He served on the Fergus Falls Concert Association Board from 1955-2011. A member of the American School Band Directors Association, he judged many district, regional, and State music contests in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Iowa; and he served on the committee that developed statewide music education standards. At First Lutheran Church, he was a member of the property and P.A. committees for many years, built store rooms, and applied many gallons of paint and varnish to keep the building looking beautiful.

After his retirement in 1984, Alfred and Christabel enjoyed extensive road trips in the U.S., as well as tours of Switzerland, Spain, and Eastern Europe. For twenty years, he maintained a home business restoring antique furniture (including re-caning chairs), and he continued to give private lessons to advanced flute, oboe and saxophone students. Alfred was a keen flower gardener, with a particular fondness for geraniums. A voracious reader, he consumed many volumes of biography, political commentary, popular science, and history (especially military history). His intellectual curiosity, quick wit, and love of puns were evident even in his final days.

Besides his wife, Christabel, he is survived by children Sharon (Gary) Nathan of Hayward, WI; Dr. Naomi Jacobs (Dr. Nathan Stormer) of Bangor, ME; Bruce Jacobs (Dr. Ann Jennen) of St. Paul, MN; Ramona Jacobs (Chuck Christianson) of Fergus Falls; grandchildren Sarah (Andrew) Bailey of Lincoln, NE and Nicole Nathan (Chas Kadlec) of Hayward, WI; great-grandchildren Nathan and Jacob Bailey of Lincoln, NE, and many nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents Alfred and Marie, brothers Lloyd and Leon Jacob, and sisters Lillian Schroeder and Betty Schaer.


Memorial donations may be directed to the FF Band Boosters, PO Box 115, Fergus Falls, MN 56537 (Al Jacobs Band Camp Scholarship in memo line); to the Organ Renovation Fund, First Lutheran Church, 402 S. Court Street, Fergus Falls, MN 56537; or to a charity of the giver’s choice.

A Band Alumni gathering will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2018, from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. at The Spot, 220 W. Lincoln Ave. in Fergus Falls.

A celebration of Alfred’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 10, 2018, at First Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls. Condolences and memories may be shared at http://www.olsonfuneralhome.com/m/obituaries/Alfred-Jacobs/Memories

Assistance is provided by the Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls
Online condolences may be sent to www.OlsonFuneralHome.com