Josephine Jacobson

Jacobson, 85, of Crosby,

passed away Saturday,

Jan. 14, 2017 at Sanford

Medical Health Center in

Bismarck.

Funeral services will

be:  11 a.m. Thursday,

Jan. 19, 2017 at Concordia

Lutheran Church in Cros-

by, ND with Pastors’  Za-

chariah and Emily Ship-

man officiating. Burial

will follow at Skabo Luth-

eran Cemetery in Freder-

ick Township, Divide

County, North Dakota.

Visitation will be from 3

p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednes-

day, Jan. 18, 2017 at

Staktson-Martin Funeral

Home in Crosby, and one

hour before the  service at

the church.

Josephine was born

March 24, 1931 to Reuben

and Sylvesta Benson on a

farmstead in Gooseneck

Township, west of Cros-

by, N.D. Jo attended

school in Crosby. She at-

tended college in Willis-

ton, continuing on to re-

ceive her teaching degree

from Minot State College.

Jo was teaching at the

Liberty Rural School in

Frederick Township when

she married the janitor

‘Abner’ (who lived and

farmed down the road) on

Dec. 31, 1950. They

would start a family soon

after.  They spent the next

66 years, 13 days and

several hours together,

mostly living on the farm

where they raised their

five children, before mov-

ing to Crosby. Jo and

Abner loved travel. Trips

included: multiple camp-

ing trips in the army

green canvas tent when

the kids were young; trav-

eling to all 50 states and

many of the Canadian

provinces; several visits to

Norway, Sweden and

Denmark to find family

and research. She also

traveled to England, Belgi-

um, Netherlands, West

Germany, France, Hun-

gary, Yugoslavia and Tur-

key as part of a USDA

delegation.

Jo taught elementary at

the Alamo school district

and also substitute taught

at Divide County.  In ad-

dition to teaching, Jo took

a very keen interest in

many organizations. She

took leadership roles with

the North Dakota Farmers

Union Board, Farmers Un-

ion Lobbyist and Field

Staff, Commission on the

Status of Woman, State

and National President of

the Rural Electric Wom-

an’s Association, Town &

Country Study Club, Li-

berty Homemakers, Sons

of Norway and Crosby

Senior Citizens, among

many other organizations

too numerous to mention.

Jo was an avid reader

and always kept a keen

ear to local, national and

world events.  She was

not afraid to express her

opinion on issues or poli-

tics.  One of Jo’s great pas-

sions was her interest in

family genealogy. She has

compiled a vast library of

family history, which she

loved to share with any-

one who would listen.

She also took great pride

in her flower garden and

always strived to improve

the aesthetics of the farm.

Jo and Abner thoroughly

enjoyed attending the

Hostfest every year.  Jo’s

other hobbies include:

dancing, painting,

rosemaling and har-

danger.

Jo’s faith was also very

important to her.  She was

a member of Skabo Luth-

eran Church and was a

current member of Con-

cordia Lutheran Church

in Crosby.  Jo was a Sun-

day school teacher, a

teacher’s trainer and

taught and was a discus-

sion leader for the Bethel

Bible series.

Josephine was preced-

ed in death by her parents

Reuben and Sylvesta Ben-

son; daughter, Charlene

Vassen; brothers, Omar,

Richard (Stella), Norman,

Eugene (Delores); sisters,

Eleanor (Lee) Hopson and

Adeline (Art) Christian-

son.

Josephine is survived

by her husband Abner;

her son, Cedric (Sue)

Jacobson of Bottineau,

ND, and their children

Leah and Darin; her son,

Neil Jacobson of Little Ca-

nada, MN, and his

daughters Deena,

Michelle, and Emily; her

daughter, Lisa (Orlin)

Hector of Estevan, SK,

and their children Austin,

Annica, Ashley, and

Aaron; and her son, Lynn

(Janice) Jacobson of

Alamo, ND, and their

children Amy, Nathan,

and Devin; and

son-in-law, Greg Vassen

of Crosby, ND, and his

sons Scott and Bryon. Her

family includes many

great-grandchildren and

countless nieces and

nephews, all of whom she

cherished.

Stakston-Martin Fun-

eral Home of Crosby is in

charge of arrangements.