Wes “Jake” Jacobson, 85, passed away September 22, 2015 at home in North Platte, NE.
Wes was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Byron, Gordon, and Don; and sisters, Lucille and Phyllis. Wes is survived by his wife, Lareen; sons, Jon, of North Platte, Tom and his wife, Ann, of North Platte, Dan and his wife, Stephanie, of Overland Park, KS, Doug and his wife, Joan, of Meridian, ID; 11 grand-children; sister-in-law, Delores Peckman of North Platte and many nieces and nephews.
Wes was born on January 28, 1930, the 6th child to Clarence and Myrtle (Rish) Jacobson in St. Paul, NE. He graduated from St. Paul High School in 1947. That same year, he met his sweetheart, Lareen Wiest, at the Loup City County Fair. Wes then served in the U.S. Army from July 20, 1951 to June 30, 1953. He attended basic and advanced training at Fort Monmouth, NJ and Fort Gordon, GA respectively. Following training, he was assigned as a Signal Corps specialist with the 17th Signal Operations Battalion in Pirmasens, Germany with temporary duty in Angevillers, France (near Metz) for the remainder of his overseas tour. Upon his return, he married Lareen on July 25, 1953 in Kearney, NE at St. James Catholic Church.
They started their married life in Kearney while Wes commuted to Holdrege with AT&T. They moved to North Platte and lived here for about 5 years until Wes was transferred to McCook. They also lived in Ogallala before moving back to North Platte in 1972 with their four sons. By this time, Wes was working for Northwestern Bell/US West. He retired in 1991 after 38 years in the telecom industry.
Wes was well known to help out others in need, as well as do odd jobs that needed to be done around his church. He assisted with bingo at the Catholic Church for many years and was a member of the American Legion. He enjoyed his time as an avid gardener and helped Lareen can hundreds of pints of vegetables. In fact, he often came home with bushels of fruits or vegetables to surprise Lareen with a new canning project. In the midst of this, he was able to own and run rental properties. He was also an enthusiastic fan of Big Red Husker football and rarely missed watching or listening to a game. Wes never knew a stranger.

Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to offer Masses for the repose of Wes’s soul or memorials are suggested to the Catholic food pantry and the North Platte hospice. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 25, 2015 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 2801 West E. Street, North Platte with the Reverend James Novakowski as celebrant. Following the funeral mass, burial will be at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell with military honors.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2015 with a vigil service and rosary at 7 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Carpenter Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.