A parent should never lose a child – it isn’t fair. But as we all know, life is not fair. That is why we look so forward to a new life where there are no more tears, hurts, suffering, and unfairness. We have a peace, that as Jacob’s parents, we do not have to justify or explain. We know God has promised that we will see our son again. He is being held in the arms of Jesus free from addiction and mental illness that plagued his last years of life on this earth. This is a memory letter to our son. After you have read it, maybe call someone you have been thinking about, or make a mends. Give your child an extra-long hug and tell them you love them, as you never know if it will be the last time you see them this side of heaven.

Our Precious Jacob,

You came into this world on a stormy Tuesday, January 3, 1995, at 8:18 in the morning. You were 8 lbs. 1 oz with light brown hair and very dark eyes.

As a baby, toddler, and young child, you were always a homebody. You were leery of strangers and new places and wanted to get home quickly after every excursion. Your favorite person is your brother, Jeffrey. You used to play patty cake together and see who could scream it the loudest!

You love daddy – you enjoy standing on his lap while in the rocking chair saying, “big aukie”, meaning big rockie (rock faster!) You sang song lyrics before you talked! Daddy would start singing and you would finish the line. Your favorite song to complete with daddy was, “Does that Blue Moon Ever Shine on You?”

Memories of you as a child:
-At 3 months old, Mommy knew you would have a cowlick
-You named your red blanket “Mickie”
-You walked at 9 months
-J's were hard for you to say, so you were “Ake” and your brother was “Feffy”
-Your first plane trip was at 19 mos. You loved the lights below and kept pointing & saying “ooohhh”
-When you were 20 months old, we dedicated you to Jesus. As a teenager, you were baptized. Both were officiated by your Grandpa Olson, “Pop”.
-To get you to smile, we had to say “show your teeth” because you always had a somber look

You loved:
-Your grandmas, Nan & GaGa
-Barney, Blues Clues, and the Taco Bell commercial with the Chihuahua. You would get excited and say, “Yokee Tacobella”
-Ribs, Kimchee, Chinese Chicken Salad, BBQ Bacon burgers, and chicken strips

You disliked:
-Having your hair cut – even more so after Pop tried to cut it and took part of your earlobe off
-Sand or snow on your hands/feet
-Cheese
-Being charged for extra BBQ sauce

Later Memories:
-You whistled and hummed… a lot
-You were a talented athlete. Playing baseball and football for many years. Your nickname to many was “Chainsaw”.
-You could grow a full beard in 8th grade!
-I loved our every Friday morning ritual through your high school years of getting Peets coffee on our way to school/work
-You were a true and loyal friend
-You would NEVER break a confidence, to a fault
-Things were always black and white, never gray, in your world. I believe this complicated your life because you could not understand unfairness.
-You always tried to look out for the underdog – even if it had nothing to do with you
-You were kind to the homeless, especially homeless veterans
-You were always grateful and appreciative for whatever was given to you – no matter how small. This was one of your greatest characteristics, and made you special.

We miss you son, but know we will see you again soon. Love Mom & Dad

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to either of the following charities:
1. Lily Pad Living (Recovery Residences) 209-683-9300 https://www.lilypadliving.com/
2. First Baptist Church Breakfast Club (feeding the homeless): 3535 N. El Dorado Street, Stockton CA 95204; 209-466-4368 https://fbcstockton.church/

The family invites friends of Jacob to an Open House in his memory on Sunday, July 23, 2023, from 11am to 2pm. For location information please text or call 209-471-9628 or 209-639-4302.