Jacobsen, Kirsten Anne Marie 1988-2014

JACOBSEN, MURRAY, JOHNSON, GAGNE, KNIGHT, JACKSON, KOLPIN, ADAMS, GREER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 11/28/2014 at 11:38:25

Kirsten Jacobsen
Des Moines

Kirsten Jacobsen, 26, traveled the world to connect people and cultures through her actions and words. The intrepid traveler died doing what she loved, in a place she loved.

Kirsten Anne Marie Jacobsen, known to her parents as Kiki, passed away suddenly in her sleep in the early morning hours of November 3, 2014; she was only 26 years old. Kirsten had been living in the Dongcheng District of Beijing since June 2014.

Kirsten was born on February 13, 1988 in Des Moines, Iowa to James and Shirley Jacobsen. She was later joined by her younger brother Nathan. She was raised in Des Moines and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 2006 and from the University of Iowa in 2011. Throughout the years, the family took many trips together around the country, vacationing in 49 of the states (a trip to Alaska was also discussed).

Kirsten graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Journalism and Political Science and a minor in Art. During her time in college, Kirsten was an exchange student at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand, where she developed a passion for international travel and diplomacy. She traveled throughout New Zealand and visited Sydney, Australia.

During college Kirsten also met the love of her life and closest companion, Martin Murray of Corydon, Iowa, who currently resides in Iowa City.

Kirsten loved learning about other cultures and studied French, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, and Mandarin Chinese. In high school she was a participant in model United Nations, which continued into her college years. In 2013 she was selected as the Press Secretary for the U.S. delegation of the Young Americans for Diplomatic Leadership for that year's Y8 Summit in London, England. She was working toward her dream of becoming a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State.

Since June 2014, Kirsten worked as a foreign editor for The Beijing Review, China's only weekly English-language national news magazine, which is distributed worldwide. In 2012, she and Martin taught oral English at Yongzhou #4 high school in rural Hunan Province in southern China for Buckland University. During that year, the two of them, along with their close British friends Graham Allwood and Paddy MacDonald, took the opportunity to travel through Southeast Asia, beginning in Bali and traveling through the major islands of Indonesia as well as Thailand and Cambodia.

In addition to her full-time jobs in China, Kirsten also wrote columns for the Des Moines Register as an international columnist writing about her experiences in the countries she explored. While living in Iowa, Kirsten worked part-time at the Iowa City Public Library and the Des Moines Public Library. She also was a social media expert who worked for Hands Jewelers and Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City for several years. In college, she worked at the UI Daily Iowan newspaper and wrote for the NextGen blog.

Kirsten had a fascination for the sport of roller derby and joined the Team United Women's Roller Derby team in Des Moines in early 2013. When she returned to China in 2014, she joined the Beijing Roller Derby team (Rickshaw Rollers), the only major roller derby club in China, which has plans of growing the sport in China. Kirsten's many other interests included reading, photography, drawing, and downhill skiing.

Kirsten managed to accomplish more in her short 26 years than most people achieve in a lifetime. She was a burst of light that was extinguished far too soon. She showed love, compassion and kindness to family, friends, and others whose lives she touched. She was also known to rescue abandoned kittens in need.

She will be deeply missed by her parents Jim and Shirley Jacobsen, brother Nathan Jacobsen, and loving companion Martin Murray. She is also survived by uncles and aunts Paul (Carol) Johnson of Newton, Iowa; Tom (Eunice) Jacobsen of Allen, Texas; Nancy Jacobsen (Gary Gagne) of Corvallis, Oregon; uncle-in-law Kerry Knight and cousin Kacey Knight of Clyde, Texas; and cousins Lisa (Jason) Jackson of Katy, Texas; Job (Mina) Johnson and children of West Des Moines; Melissa Kolpin and children of Newton, Iowa; Jason (Jen) Adams and children of Newton, Iowa; Steven Jacobsen of Dallas, Texas; Sherry (Todd) Greer of San Jose, California; and extended family. She will also be dearly missed by her many friends around the world.

Kirsten was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents Donald and Dorothy Johnson of Newton, Iowa and paternal grandparents Kenneth and Mary Jacobsen of Clyde, Texas, as well as aunt Susan Jacobsen Knight of Clyde, Texas.

A memorial reception in celebration of Kirsten's life will be held on Saturday, November 29, between the hours of 3:00 - 6:00 pm at the Waveland Golf Course Clubhouse, 4908 University Ave. in Des Moines, Iowa. Her family and friends are invited to share in the celebration of her life.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Kirsten Jacobsen Memorial Fund (maintained at Community Choice Credit Union in Des Moines), designating either the endowment fund being established to provide a stipend for American foreign editors at the Beijing Review news magazine; the Beijing Roller Derby Club; the International Center for Veterinary Services in Beijing, China; the Humane Society of the U.S.; the Myocarditis Foundation; or the charity of your choice.

Published in Des Moines Register from Nov. 24 to Nov. 25, 2014
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/desmoinesregister/obituary.aspx?n=kirsten-jacobsen&pid=173252019&eid=sp_ommatch#sthash.DgRE65XQ.dpuf ~ The Des Moines Register Legacy, Des Moines, Iowa 24/25 Nov 2014.