Donna Jacobsen

Donna Jacobsen, age 90 of Norwich, NY, stepped into the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on August 19, 2025. What began as faith has now become sight.

Donna was born July 19, 1935, at home in Round Valley, Nebraska to Berent and Annie (Olson) Ottun. As a young girl, through the ministry of the American Sunday School Union, she put her faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior.

She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class in Sargent, Nebraska, in 1953. She then earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a focus on Home Economics from Kearney State Teachers College. Later, she took additional classes in order to teach elementary school. Through the course of her career, she taught nearly every grade in schools in Nebraska, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York, but her favorite grades to teach were 5th and 6th grade. She loved teaching, and she developed a passion for Christian school education. She ran a structured classroom, yet over the years, many students have sent messages telling her that she was their favorite teacher.

Donna married her husband Delbert Jacobsen on June 1, 1958. Together they met the hard challenges of life leaning on the words of Scripture and the promises of God. After 55 years of marriage, the Lord called Del home in 2013.

She loved her Norwegian heritage and was proud to tell anyone that she was “100% Norwegian.” A highlight of her life was visiting the sites in Norway from which her grandparents (the Loftness, Ottun, and Olson families) had immigrated. Tears of joy ran down her face the day the plane landed in Norway fulfilling her lifelong dream. Tears ran down her face a second time as she listened to a church congregation in Bergen sing in Norwegian, the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

Donna and Del opened their home to many young people who stayed with them for a time —some to attend a Christian school, others during times of transition. In addition to those who lived with them for longer stays, she also demonstrated warm hospitality to countless dinner guests, always making sure no one left her table hungry.

She is survived by her children: Patricia (Bruce) Buchanan, Brenda (Ralph) Hansen, and Sheryl Trine; her grandchildren: Scott (Caroline) Buchanan, Gregory (Becca) Buchanan, Brandon Buchanan, Kelly (Eric) Getz, and Tiffany (Mike) Englert; and her great-grandchildren (who brought her great joy!): Catherine and Jonathan Buchanan, Elowyn, Aila, and Hallie Buchanan, Joanna and Maci Getz, and Mikey, Noah, and Riley Englert. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Anita Ottun, and her brother-in-law, Gerald Jacobsen, and by many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband and her parents; her brothers and sisters-in-law, Harold and Irene Ottun, Darrel and Sheila Ottun; her brother, Gaylord Ottun; and her in-laws: Glenn and Iris Jacobsen, Ray and Vivian Thomas, and Judy Jacobsen.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Broken Bow Evangelical Free Church. Interment will follow at Round Valley Cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday, August 29, 2025, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at Goviers Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow, NE.Memorials may be made to “Every Man a Warrior, Inc.,” 4435 O Street, Ste 100 Lincoln, NE 68510 (a ministry of Trans World Radio).