69����

Jacobson has been president of the Parker Athletic Boosters for 15 years, and has been volunteering in other capacities for more than 40 years.

The mother of five, grandmother of 15 and great-grandmother of five, with a sixth on the way, has been active in the Parker Athletic Boosters since 1982, when he oldest son was a sophomore in high school.

A native of Middle Ridge, Wisconsin, Jacobson grew up on a farm as the fourth of twelve children. She moved to Janesville after getting married in 1964.

“It’s awesome to have such a big family, especially when we’re all together for the holidays,” Jacobson said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re all amazing.”

Jacobson became a seamstress so she could stay at home with her children, offering sewing services out of her home. Eventually, she was also able to stay home with her grandchildren.

In the years that her children attended Janesville Parker, she joined the Parker Athletic Boosters. She became the president 27 years after getting involved and has since been re-elected every two years.

“They keep re-electing me,” Jacobson chuckled. Two of her grandchildren attended Janesville Craig High School while another attended Edgerton High School. The rest went to Parker.

She said she values adolescent athletics because it’s a great way to help kids learn how to control their emotions, work together and get involved. She notes that her children were three-sport athletes.

“I think it’s important to learn how to be a part of a team and not just look out for themselves,” Jacobson said.

In addition to selling clothing during lunch hour, Jacobson raises money for the Parker Athletic Boosters by selling school clothing and holding 50/50 raffles during games.

“There’s only so much money coming from the city, so I realized early on how important this club is and how much good they can do,” she said.

As the voluntary score keeper, Jacobson can also be found in her black and white referee sweater at all Parker basketball games.

She uses her sewing skills to make costumes for school performances and choir gowns and she repairs sports uniforms. When there wasn’t enough money in the budget to buy new tennis nets, Jacobson repaired the old ones.

She also removes awards from letterman jackets for students who have graduated, so they can keep the awards but donate the jacket to incoming students.

Jacobson’s volunteering doesn’t end at Parker.

A member of St. William Catholic Church in Janesville since the 1980s, Jacobson volunteers there, as well. In the 1980s, she coached girls softball, soccer and cheerleading at St. William Catholic School. She also led Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, distributed communion and taught religious education for 40 years, mostly to the high school kids. She does any fabric work they need, such as on altar server gowns and once sewed a large stage curtain.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she sewed gowns for the Janesville EMS Department.

“When they went on a call during COVID, they had to change their gowns, so they were going through the paper ones like crazy,” Jacobson said. “I made about 40 of them in different sizes.”

Now, they come to her when they need pants hemmed or a zipper repaired, paid for by the city. She also made 2,000 COVID-19 masks and donated them.

“I just wanted to get everybody through this COVID thing,” Jacobson said. She couldn’t guess how much time she’s put in, only that she’s enjoyed giving of her time.

This year, Jacobson did not have a grandchild at Parker. Two students who knew this made sure to go out of their way to greet her every Thursday and even call her grandma, she said.

“’We will be your grandchild now,’” they said, Jacobson recalls with a large smile. “I just love all the people. Especially when they come up to me and say ‘Hi’ and call me Mrs. J, it just feels good to be there at lunchtime.”

Jacobson’s youngest grandchild will attend Parker High in the fall. After his graduation, Jacobson says she may finally pass the booster club torch.