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Amy Alice (Reeves) (van Sand) Jacob died peacefully in her sleep at West Park Long Term Care Center in Cody on Dec. 17, 2018. She was 95.
She was an accountant, secretary, teacher, missionary, musician and humanitarian. She was the daughter of Pierce and Sara Reeves, who had a sheep ranch north of Chinook, Montana.
Amy attended Pleasant View School, later graduating from the high school in Chinook. She worked for the government briefly, and then attended Great Falls Commercial College where she studied business courses. From there, she passed her civil service exam and went to Washington, D. C., where she worked for the Office of Price Administration. In 1944, she passed another exam and joined the State Department. Amy was assigned to the Algiers Embassy in the code room.
While in Algeria, she met and married Delar van Sand, a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. In 1945, Amy returned to Chinook, where she gave birth to Frederic Reeves van Sand. At that time, she went to work for the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company.
She and Commander van Sand divorced in 1946. When the U&I Company moved to Washington State, she started work as an accountant at Richards and Stam (now Doughten) Ford dealership. After Fred went to college, Amy also returned to college, pursuing a lifelong dream of being an English teacher.
In 1967, she married her friend, Roland A. Jacob, an agriculturist for the Great Western Sugar Company, whom she had met while they were both employed at U&I.
Mrs. Jacob accepted a position teaching English and journalism at Cowley High School in Cowley. She and Jake had moved to Powell after they were married. Her life also included directing the choir at Powell’s First United Methodist Church for 13 years. She remained an active member there until her death. After Cowley High School closed in 1983, her job moved to Rocky Mountain High in Byron. Jake began to suffer from the effects of arteriosclerosis, which prompted Amy’s retirement in 1987. Mr. Jacob passed away in 1988.
Single now and never content to be idle, Mrs. Jacob taught English for GED students for two years, after which she applied to the church to be a missionary. A position was offered to her in Marigot, Dominica, in the Eastward Island chain in the Caribbean. She taught English at the Methodist-sponsored local school as well as playing the organ at the Marigot UMC. “Miss Amy” returned to Dominica for three school years. She sponsored two young women from there into the U.S. to attend college.
In 2001, Mrs. Jacob received the Golden Bell Award for lifetime achievement from the Wyoming School Boards Association.
In her later years, Amy traveled widely and continued her church activities. In 2004, she received the Bishop’s Award for lifetime achievement.
While in Powell, Mrs. Jacob was a member and officer of United Methodist Women, Business and Professional Women, Delta Kappa Gamma, Fine Arts, and a member of Daughters of the American Revolution. In Chinook, she was a member of the PTA, director of the Chinook Methodist Church choir, and treasurer of the Chinook UMC.
Amy is survived by her sister, Marian Hardin, and nephews Mark and Gregg of California; her son, Fred van Sand, of Missouri; a granddaughter, Daniale, her husband, Simon, and three great-granddaughters, Matilda, Elinor, and Elsie of Washington state. She was a dear friend to many and will be sorely missed.
A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Powell on April 6, 2019, at 2 p.m. Her funeral will be held at Edwards Funeral Home, Chinook, Montana, with interment service at Kuper Memorial Cemetery on April 10, 2019, at 2 p.m.
Honoraria may be made in her name to the United Methodist Church, or to your favorite charity.
