Obituary: Marjorie (Marty) H. Jacobs

Marjorie (Marty) H. Jacobs, 88, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 19, 2017 at the Scandia Village care center in Sister Bay, WI.

She was smart, opinionated, irrepressible, resilient, funny, wily, with a biting sense of humor, a steel resolve and aggressive driving skills. Through example, she showed everyone around her to make the best of what you’ve got but never stop fighting for what you need. She will be missed.

Marty was born September 28, 1928 in Rockford, IL, to Luther G. and Harriet H. Hester. Eventually moving to NYC, she pursued a modeling career and met her future husband, a dashing Army soldier just home from the war. After being pursued by her suitor, prodded by her mother and finally dazzled by his white convertible, she married Jim Jacobs on April 30, 1949.

They moved to Stevens Point, where Jim was an executive at Sentry Insurance, and raised seven children. During that time, Marty and the family spent their summers on their boat at the Ephraim Yacht Club. Having fallen in love with Door County, in 1967 Jim and Marty packed their stuff, moved into and rehabbed The Anderson House in Ephraim. Jim and the kids handled construction; Marty did the interior design and decorating.

In 1969, they purchased the Knudson House in Ephraim, running it as a traditional resort until market trends dictated they convert the property to private homes. Marty ran the office, participated in the Moravian Church Women’s Circle, and continued to raise her seven children.

In the mid ’70s, Jim and Marty bought the iconic Anderson Hotel situated between the two churches on the bluff above Ephraim. They saved it from the wrecking ball and preserved the postcard image of Ephraim by converting it into private apartments while maintaining the historic look of the building. It stands as a monument to their vision and love of Door County to this day.

After the kids had grown, Jim and Marty traveled the country in an RV, eventually settling in Florida for several years, before retiring at Scandia Village. There they met old friends and made many new ones. After Jim died in 2009, Marty was famous for making the rounds in her scooter and checking in on friends in the complex. Her favorite pastime was engaging in conversation with both staff and residents, offering a myriad of opinions on every subject.

She is survived by her six sons, Peter (Jave Hughes) Jacobs, John (Barbara) Jacobs, Richard (Jodi) Jacobs, Carl (Ann) Jacobs, Erich (Karen) Jacobs and Kurt (Lauren) Jacobs, her brother Steven (Loretta) Hester, fifteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband James Jacobs, daughter Ann Katherine (Katye) Sertich, and son-in-law Charles (Chuck) Sertich.

A remembrance of Marty will be held in the Gathering Room of The Meadows at the Scandia Village Retirement Community in Sister Bay at 10:30 am, on Monday, August 7, 2017. In lieu of flowers, donations can to be made in her memory to either National Public Radio (www.npr.org) or Scandia Village (www.good-sam.com/foundation/donate). The entire Jacobs family would like to thank the wonderful folks at Scandia Village for the love and support they showed Marty the many years she was there.