Jerry Jacobson

Jerry Lee Jacobson, 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in Great Falls, Mont., on Sunday, April 7, 2019.

A celebration of life will be held at First Baptist Church in Glasgow, Mont., on Saturday, May 25, at 2 p.m., with a private burial at a later date.

Jerry was born in Glasgow to Charles and Loetta (Christenson) Jacobson on May 27, 1936. He attended school in Glasgow and following graduation joined the Navy in 1955. After returning home, he met Dora Lou Scanson and married her on Jan. 21, 1961. They were blessed with 58 wonderful years together and two children, Brett and Sonda.

After marriage, they both attended Northern Montana College where Jerry received his teaching degree. He taught school in Terry, Mont., and Miles City, Mont., for several years then became an FBI agent in 1969. In 1974 he transferred to the US Forest Service as a special agent, which took the family to Idaho through 1979, Colorado through 1985, and teaching at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga., through 1987. They returned to Montana where Jerry retired out of Missoula in 1994, after which he and Dora Lou relocated for the final time back home to their property north of Glasgow.

In the fall of 1998, Jerry was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome which kept him hospitalized for almost two years. Dora Lou stayed in a recliner next to his bed the entire time. He miraculously survived and later wrote a book "My Wake-Up Call" which tells the battle of his recovery.

Jerry loved spending time with family and was always ready to help anyone in need. He was very active in Valley County with law enforcement training and was very knowledgeable in installing audio equipment for the museum and his church. He enjoyed hunting and was an avid reader and photographer. While traveling to many areas in Montana, Jerry created an extensive display of scenic photos, the majority of which have since been published in books. He was honored by the Montana Historical Society for some of his work.

He was preceded in death by his parents; cousin and best friend Charles McVee, who was like a brother to him; brother-in-law Esten Scanson; and several very special aunts, uncles and cousins.

He is survived by his wife Dora Lou; son Brett; daughter Sonda; five grandchildren, Lenny, Britni, Seth, Chelsea and Nicole; four great-grandchildren, Adam, Eileen, Tucker and Dulcie; the McVee, Myhre and Scanson families; and many dear friends and extended family across the nation.

In lieu of flowers, family requests memorial donations in Jerry's name be made to the Valley County Historical Society, Pioneer Museum, in Glasgow.