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(May 23, 2010)Kermit Dwight Jacobs died on the morning of Sunday, May 23, 2010, at the Powell Valley Care Center, six days after celebrating his 94th birthday.
He was the first born of seven children of Harry and Harriet Jacobs in Helvey — later known as Powell — Neb.
While growing up on the family farm in Nebraska, he worked with heavy horses and always enjoyed horses of all types. He spent time there with the Civilian Conservation Corps building trails. He left Nebraska and traveled to Idaho to work on a ranch.
While he was in Idaho, his family relocated to the Powell, Wyoming, area. When he came to visit them, he met Oma Royal. Kermit and Oma were married on June 26, 1943, in Billings.
He worked at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center and for various farmers in the Powell valley until later joining his brother, Jake, in a farming operation in the Willwood area south of Powell. In 1970, he and Oma moved into town and he became more active in recreational activities with his children and grandchildren. Upon retirement from farming in 1981, he continued working for Big Horn Cooperative in the fertilizer operation and helping at automotive shops nearby.
Kerm and Oma enjoyed camping and he was always active riding horses and mules. Kerm and his son, Kim, rode miles of trails in Northwest Wyoming, from the Beartooth range south to the Hamilton Dome area, sightseeing and elk hunting with friends.
He was always helpful to others in completing any task and he really enjoyed that. Kerm was instrumental in the establishment of horseshoe pitching in the area and after open heart surgery in 1987, he won two state championships in the state horseshoe pitching tournament in 1988 and 89.
His parents Harriet and Harry preceded him in death in 1982 and 83.
Kerm is survived by his wife of nearly 67 years; three children, Sherry Krause (Ken) of Colorado Springs, Colo., Jeana Gatch (Dan) of Laurel, Mont., and son Kim (Cindy) of Powell. Kerm and Oma have eight grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
Brothers Jake of Powell and Larry of Oregon join sisters Gwen Baxter, Belle Jones, Pat Jones and Barbara Werbelow, all of Powell, in mourning the passing of their oldest brother.
No funeral services are planned and the family will conduct a memorial service at a later date. For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Powell Valley Care Center at 777 Avenue H, Powell, WY 82435.
