Eve Jacobson
(1929-2022)
Eve (Evie) Jacobson passed away at home on September 8, 2022, at the age of 93, in Moretown, Vermont. She is predeceased by her husband, Raymond Gunnar Jacobson and survived by daughters Pamela Barnes and Debra Jacobson, son-in-law Jack Barnes, grandchildren Michael Barnes, Lisa Mason, Kathryn Barnes, and great-granddaughters Sydney and Eden Mason.
Evie’s life began in Hildesheim, Germany, in 1929 as Eveliese, the only child of Otto and Else Schurmann. As journals translated into English reflect, she was dearly loved and doted on as a child. Her mother suffered from tuberculosis and died when Evie was just 9 years of age. Six months later, at the brink of World War II, Evie participated in the Kindertransport (an organization rescue effort of children from Nazi-controlled territory) to join a foster family in England while her father went into hiding during the war. During the following six years, Evie only heard from her father via letters delivered by the Red Cross. In later years she spoke to school classrooms about her Holocaust experience.
At the age of 16, she was reunited with her father, who miraculously survived the war. It was on the ship to America that Evie first met her husband Ray, who was traveling back from Sweden to Minneapolis. For the next year, they stayed in touch through letters and visits and were later married. They had two daughters, Pamela and Debra, and lived in Minneapolis, MN, Stockholm, Sweden, Fort Wayne, IN, and finally Rochester, NY.
Throughout her adult life, Evie lived with major depression, a consequence of a childhood filled with unfathomable loss and uncertainty. This lifelong struggle became part of her life story. Her family members remember her as someone who felt deeply, but also embraced others fully, especially in their moments of struggle. Her work as a Compeer friend to several in need demonstrated her support of others enduring difficult times. She is equally remembered as someone who found true joy in simple pleasures -- preparing the house for a dinner party, sending out satirical holiday cards, snuggling up in bed with her grandchildren and a picture book, beautifully illustrating a handwritten note, getting seconds of a favorite meal, or sharing a glass of chardonnay and a deep conversation with a dog on her lap.
Evie was a beloved friend, empathetic listener, ethereal painter, true artist, and a lover of animals – especially her beloved Chihuahua Gracie. She was deeply loved by her family. A close family gathering took place to celebrate her life -- no formal service was held.
