Obituary: Ann Natalie Jacobson, 83

Ann Natalie Jacobson (nee Gandrud), 83, of Hamilton, Virginia passed away at her home on October 15th, 2013, due to cancer.  Ann was born on April 16th, 1930, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, to the late Elvin Gandrud and Ada Aarrestad Gandrud. After completing the Glenwood Minnesota schools, she attended Concordia College in Moorhead for two years and graduated from the University of Minnesota in December 1951 with a BS degree in business education. At the university, she served on the governor’s youth commission.

She worked as an executive assistant to the president of Neiman Marcus in Dallas prior to her marriage to Gerhard (Jake) Jacobson on August 8th 1953 at the Glenwood Lutheran Church in Glenwood. As the wife of a career army officer, she travelled widely with her husband. In 1965, they spent a year studying Russian prior to his serving with our embassy in Moscow. In 1980, they moved from Mount Vernon to a circa 1800 farm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge which they restored and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. She served on the board of the Land Trust of Virginia and Loudoun Cares. She successfully managed issue-focused political campaigns and served as a legislative aide to a former delegate and current justice of the Virginia Supreme Court. She had a lifelong interest in education and taught in the Fairfax County School System. In all her moves, a priority was finding a Lutheran church for her family. She had an active involvement in church music and her love of needlepoint included kneelers in three different churches. An avid golfer, she won ladies’ championships at numerous clubs.

In addition to her husband of 60 years, she is survived by her three children: Marie (Robert) Johnston of Winter Park, FL; Dr Paul (Gail) Jacobson of Glenelg, MD; and Gretchen (John) Zeltner of Middleburg, VA. She is survived by 8 grandchildren: Robert Johnston of NYC; Elizabeth Johnston of Washington, DC; Kirsten Jacobson of Los Angeles; Jack (Karleigh) Zeltner of Leesburg, VA; Thomas Johnston of NYC; Dana Jacobson of NYC; Brooke Zeltner of Richmond, VA; and Graham Jacobson of NYC. Ann is survived by her brother Richard (Lorraine) Gandrud of Glenwood, MN. She was preceded in death by her sister Gail (Hugh) Stinson.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Monday, October 21st at the Loudoun Funeral Chapel, 158 Catoctin Circle SE, Leesburg. A funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 22nd at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 6201 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Loudoun Cares, PO Box 83, Leesburg, VA, 20178, or Resurrection Lutheran Church Music Fund. Please share condolences with the family at www.LoudounFuneralChapel.com.