Merle Gordon Jacobson was born on January 3, 1925 on the family farm in Black Brook Township to Jens and Minnie (Halverson) Jacobson. He was baptized and confirmed at the East Immanuel Lutheran Church. He graduated from Amery High School in 1943. He began farming on the family farm and continued until retiring in 1989. He lived in the farm house, but then built a retirement home next to the farm in 2002. Merle was active in his church life. At East Immanuel he taught Sunday School and sang in the church choir for several decades, as well as served in leadership positions on the church council. After transferring to Amery Free Lutheran Church, he continued his service to his church community, including volunteering at the church school.
He was an active member of the Gideons for many years. Merle traveled to churches throughout Wisconsin, distributed testaments on college campuses, and ministered to prisoners at the Polk County Jail. In his spare time, he enjoyed woodworking and made several pieces of beautiful furniture. As his health declined he moved to the Willow Ridge Healthcare Facility in Amery where he died on January 21, 2013 at the age of 88 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents Jens and Minnie Jacobson, half-brother Hiram; half-sisters Myrtle Emerson and Margaret Anderson; and a cousin Howard Johnson. He is survived by his sister Jeanette Kolstad; nephew Terry Kolstad; niece Diane (Rex) Kiekhoefer; and grand- niece Laura Kiekhoefer as well as other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 25, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. at the Amery Free Lutheran Church in rural Amery. There will be a time of visitation for the hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at the East Immanuel Cemetery in rural Amery.