The Jacob "Eli" and Aslena (Wicks) Jacobson family moved to Milford Twp on the first of March in 1911 and lived a mile and a quarter north of Milford Center School.- the place with the two long lanes-a quarter mile to the south and the mud road, or a quarter mile to the west and the gravel road by Comfort's farm. The youngest six children were born at this farm.
Walter, a veteran of WWII serving with the Marines in the South Pacific, left Milford Twp and was a carpenter in Des Moines. He married a Milford school teacher, Marlys Kratz who became the first and second grade teacher 1949- 1951. Marvin married Alma and moved to Michigan where he farmed and raised six children. He farmed in Milford township for five years. Jeffrey (Mabel Bergland) farmed in Milford Township and lived in two different farms in Sec 8 in the fifties and sixties but moved to Nevada for retirement. He was the father of Marcia `58, Steven `61 and Carol `73.
Howard was a long time farmer in Sec 5 of Milford Twp. Howard married Irene Rasmusson of McCallsburg page 205 and they were the parents of four youngsters who attended Milford ; three of them graduated from Milford Bob `57, Bill `59, Bernita `61, and the fourth, Barbara, pix pg 202 who graduated from Nevada in 1966. The Howard Jacobson family moved to Milford Twp in the spring of 1940. Howard farmed until 1972 when son Robert (Bob/Jake) took over the operation. Bob still farms this ground in 2007. For Irene Jacobson- see People, Royalty, 1928 Diamond Jubilee. She also was the President of the PTA in 1950. Bill and Bernita both earned their Doctorate Degrees and Barb followed her Mother as an elementary teacher. Bernita graduated at Nevada in 1961 and later taught at Southwest Missouri State at Springfield Missouri.
Howard's family is one of three Jacobson families that were well known in the community of the forties and the fifties- the others were the Jeffrey Jacobson family and the Jordon Jacobson family.
Jordon, the oldest of the ten children, worked as a carpenter, and was the father of 12 including Jerry Jacobson `51, Marlene Jacobson `53 and Beverly, who, had she stayed at Milford, would have graduated in 1955. When Jordon's wife, Edithe, died of a heart attack in 1941, mother Aslena took these three children into her home and provided for their needs. Jacob Eli, the patriarch of the family, had died in April of 1937 from the complications of asthma and several severe strokes. Aslena , mother, was born about 1884 and died in the spring of 1956 and following this the family farm was sold. This left Howard as a land owner in Milford Twp and Jeffrey as a farmer of others' land.
Margaret was married to Bert Bergland and raised a family in McCallsburg. Margaret's daughter, Maryls Bergland Dodds, was a Milford teacher on the last staff in 1960-'61.
Loretta moved to Michigan where she lived.
Edith married Ray Vaught and lived in Des Moines.
Ardys never married.
Dorys married Jess Helland and lived in Story City.
The oldest four of this Jacobson family did not graduate from Milford Consolidated Township School i.e. Jordon Margaret, Loretta, and Howard. The other six graduated from Milford Twp Cons.
In the thirties and early forties, when independent basketball leagues were quite popular, the Jacobson brothers had their own team and played under the name of "The Five `J's". No record of their games has been found.
A story with Jeff Jacobson on page 303. Bill Jacobson on page 201, Bob Jacobson on page 70. Jacobson Farmsteads on page 317.