Merlyn Jacobson

Merlyn Leonard Jacobson was born on August 26, 1963, to Myron and Virginia Jacobson in Rushville, Nebraska. From a young age, Merlyn displayed a love for the simple joys of life, growing up surrounded by the open plains and learning the values of hard work. He attended Clinton Elementary School and graduated from Gordon High School in 1981.

After high school, Merlyn joined a custom harvest crew, traveling and honing his skills before returning to Clinton to work alongside his family on their farm. Farming wasn’t just a job for Merlyn—it was a calling, a way of life that deeply connected him to the land and to those he loved.

In June 1992, Merlyn married the love of his life, Roberta Hartford. Together, they built a home filled with laughter, love, and a shared devotion to their two children, Joseph Myron and Denie Marie. In 1997, Merlyn fulfilled a lifelong dream when he purchased his uncle Stanley’s property in Batesland, South Dakota. There, he continued his passion for farming and ranching.

Merlyn was many things, but above all, he was a compassionate man and a loyal friend. He always had a way of making everyone feel welcome, often through his extravagant stories that always guaranteed laughter. His heart was as big as the skies he loved under the South Dakota sun, and he was always ready to lend a hand or share a smile.

Though our hearts are heavy with his passing, we take comfort in knowing he is now reunited with cherished family and friends who have gone before him. Merlyn is preceded in death by his loving parents, Myron and Virginia; his brothers, Dennis and Douglas; and his grandparents, Louis and Gertrude Burleigh and Henry and Sophia Jacobson.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Roberta Jacobson; his children, Joseph (fiancée Kathryn) and Denie (husband Michael); his siblings, Michael (wife Allison), Barbara (husband Dan), and Jared (wife Wendy); and his nieces and nephews, Ann (husband Juan and family), Charlotte (husband Jon and family), Dawn (husband Larry and family), Danielle (husband Michael), Michael, and Erik.