Lena Jacob

Lena Lorraine (Smith) Jacob was born July 2, 1918, in Crawford County, Iowa to Silas Harrison and Ruth Naomi (Hazen) Smith. She grew up in both Crawford and Harrison Counties. After 8th grade, Lena worked for various families. Lena married Alexander Carl Christiansen on January 15, 1938. The couple moved to a farm near Dow City where they worked and lived until Alex's death on December 24, 1964. Lena moved to Dunlap and lived with her brother, Perry Smith, and she helped families with cleaning. On August 31, 1968, Lena married Jasper Jacob. Jasper owned and operated the Woodbine Locker. Lena and Jasper worked together at the locker. Jasper died on March 7, 1977.

Lena enjoyed being a Cub Scout leader for several years, helping in the R.L.D.S. church, baking and canning for herself and others, knitting and making crafts, and traveling ~ especially to visit family in Washington, Oregon, and California.

Lena died Saturday, July 14, 2007, at the Dunlap Nursing and Rehab Center in Dunlap, Iowa attaining the age of 89 years and 12 days.

Lena was preceded in death by her parents; two husbands, Alex Christiansen and Jasper Jacob; four infant siblings; four brothers, Sherman, Virgil, Herman and Perry Smith; and three sisters, Leona Berger, Margaret Wolf, and Leta Foscalina. She is survived by her brother, Martin Smith and his wife Bonnie of Woodbine, Iowa; four step-children, Marilyn Huntress of Green Valley, Arizona, Sandra and her husband Kevin Duncombe of Crystal, Minnesota, Ken Jacob of Ames, Iowa, Larry Jacob of Clearwater, Florida; several step grandchildren and step-great grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.