Sen. Lawrence E. 'Jake' Jacobsen

A memorial service for former Sen. Lawrence E. "Jake" Jacobsen, 85, a lifetime Douglas County resident, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Minden Park.

Sen. Jacobsen died July 26, 2006, at his Minden home. He was born July 1, 1921, in Gardnerville to Lawrence P. Jacobsen and Anna Kettenburg.

He married Betty Lundergreen on May 13, 1951, in Gardnerville.

Mr. Jacobsen graduated from Douglas High School in 1939 and worked as an oil distributor.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1939-46.

Sen. Jacobsen was the longest serving member of the Nevada Legislature having served 40 years. He served in 20 regular sessions and seven special sessions, first as a member of the Nevada Assembly from 1963-1977 then as a senator from 1979-2001. Leadership positions included: Assembly speaker pro tempore in 1969; Assembly speaker 1971, Assembly minority floor leader 1973, Senate minority floor leader 1981, president pro tempore 1987-1990 and 1993-2001. He also served as a member to and led multiple other legislative commissions and committees.

He was a 60-year member of the Douglas County Engine Company, a member of the Minden Rotary Club with 51 years of perfect attendance, a Paul Harris Fellow, was named Man of the Year in 1972; Citizen of the Year in 1984; earned the Feed the Hungry Award from Friends in Service Helping in 1993 and won the Tony Beard Award in 1993 and served as co-chairman of the Minden Bandstand in 1984.

Mr. Jacobsen was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Gardnerville Gun Club, the Carson Valley Nut Club, the Douglas County Education Foundation, the Navy League, the Douglas County Republican Central Committee, the Nevada State Republican Central Committee, the State 4-H Camp Advisory Council, the Advisory Committee for Veterans Cemetery in Northern Nevada, the Sierra Front Wildfire Cooperators, the Douglas County Emergency Response Commission, PHSA Chapter 1, the Buckbrush Gun Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars No. 3630, and Trinity Lutheran Church. He was the commander of Carson Valley Post No. 11 of the American Legion and was a governor appointee and a member of the State Emergency Response Commission.

He was preceded in death by his brothers and an infant son.

Among his survivors are his wife of Minden; sons and daughters-in-law Bruce and Debbie Jacobsen and Tim and Robbi Jacobsen, all of Minden, and Gary and Linda Jacobsen of Smith Valley; daughter and son-in-law Susan and Lance Jackson of Minden; seven grandchildren and numerous extended family members.

Cremation will take place at Walton's Sierra Crematory.

Memorial donations may be made to the Douglas Engine Company Museum Fund, care of East Fork Fire District, Box 218, Minden, 89423.

Walton's Douglas County Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.