Sybel Anne Jacobsen passed away at the age of 94 on March 24, 2020 in Loveland, Colorado. She was born on April 26, 1925 in Fort Collins, Colorado to Stanley Henry Smith and Alphronia Elizabeth (Lamb) Smith and grew up during the Great Depression on the family farm at Black Hollow near Pierce, Colorado as the fourth child in a family of 12 children. She told of running away from home once with her little brother Everett in a wheelbarrow (and returning home before anyone found out). All of the Smith children graduated from Pierce high school.
She married Earl Jay Jacobsen on May 9, 1945 in Boulder, Colorado. They met while working at a World War II aircraft factory at Hill Field Utah. Sybel often spoke about taking a jam-packed train from Colorado to Utah standing up all the way, washing airplane parts in gasoline, and experiencing the rationing of supplies and food. Family legend is that on her first date with Earl, she ordered a hot dog (plain, no condiments) while he ordered a steak and that they went tobogganing in the Utah mountains on many outings (she froze because she didn’t have the right shoes or coat). Her husband Earl preceded her in death in September of 2008 after 63 years of marriage.
Sybel was a homemaker and wonderful cook. The couple raised six children at the family dryland wheat farm near Dover, Colorado: Lyden Jacobsen (Deborah) of Scottsdale, Arizona; Molly Davis (husband Jay deceased) of Fort Collins; Lowell Jacobsen (Bonnie) of Fort Collins; Heddy Cary (Jack) of Fort Lupton; Jolene Fox (Jim) of Littleton; and Janelle Schell (Dave) of Fort Collins. Sybel is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 22 greatgrandchildren, one brother Everett Smith (Ivonne) of Woodland Park and a sister Carole Parsons of Georgia, and numerous nieces and nephews. Siblings Howard, Wayne, Betty, Mathew, Charles, Rupert, Jeanette, Amy, and Verne preceded her in death.
Sybel often invited numerous extended family members for holiday meals and Sunday dinner at the farm, working for days to make it special. She was famous for her pies and cakes and worked at Woodward Governor in Fort Collins in their cafeteria operation as a baker for many years once her family was grown.
After retirement, Sybel and Earl traveled in the desert southwest in a motor home and lived for a time in Golden Valley, Arizona, returning to Colorado in the summers. They also built and lived in houses near Fort Collins and at Glacier View Meadows. The couple moved back to Loveland to be near family. After Earl’s death, Sybel continued to drive until she was 90 and greatly valued her independence, living by herself until moving at age 92 to Apple Leaf Assisted Living in Berthoud and from there to Good Samaritan Loveland Village this January because of deteriorating health.
Throughout her lifetime, Sybel enjoyed keeping up with family and lifelong friends via email, phone calls, and cards and letters. She could remember birthdates for everyone in the extended Smith and Jacobsen families. She collected movable solar figurines for display in the sunshine on her window ledges. She enjoyed chocolate, sewing, coloring books, crochet, collecting dolls and miniatures, putting together scrapbooks, writing down some of her memories, Powerball, Broncos football, Rockies baseball, board and card games, and watching Jeopardy. Sybel was proud to be a five-gallon blood donor. She will be remembered for always clutching a purse, for getting curly permanents, and for her passion for the color pink. Sybel is also remembered for passing on wisdom, family recipes, and treasured family artifacts to the younger generations.
Cremation will be conducted, and a memorial service will be held when people are once again safe to travel and gather to celebrate Sybel’s life. In lieu of flowers, consider donating to Pathways Hospice, Children’s Hospital in Denver, or Apple Leaf Assisted Living.
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