Verlyss Jacobson

Verlyss Jacobson died February 9, 2026 at Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home in Viborg, SD. A memorial service is planned for 11:00 am, Saturday, April 18th at the Lennox High School, where Verlyss dedicated her career to teaching. The visitation will be held immediately prior to the service from 9:00 am - 11:00 am, April 18th, also in the gymnasium. Verlyss Vylene Jacobson was born May 14, 1939 at Moe Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, to Edward and Dorothy (Hoffman) Jacobson. She joined her parents on a farm southeast of Tea, SD. Sister Vyona Vylores was born March 1943. In 1945 the family moved to another Jacobson farm on Highway 17 between Lennox and Tea. In March 1951 the family purchased a farm near Hurley and moved there. Sister Vynita Vynola was born October 1951. Verlyss attended Schoffelman rural school west of Tea, Stoddard school near Hurley, and graduated from Hurley High School in 1957. She attended Southern State Teachers College, Springfield, SD, for one year and attained the rest of her education via summer school graduating with her bachelor’s in elementary education from Southern in 1966 and master’s in classroom teaching from the University of South Dakota in 1974. Verlyss taught a rural school south of Chancellor for three years, second grade in Lennox for four years, and middle school English, social studies, or math in Lennox for 30 years. She retired in 1995 and substitute taught for nine years. While living on the farm, Verlyss fed chickens and pigs, hauled bales, dragged corn, shocked 100 acres of oats in 1957, and could extract the square root of any number without a calculator. When Edward died in 1957, Dorothy and the girls moved to a 40 foot mobile home in Lennox. She belonged to many educational and social organizations and served as president and/or secretary several times in each of the local ones. Verlyss’ hobbies included photography, writing poetry, genealogy, travel, home decorating, sewing, and quilting. Those involved more organizations and offices held. Verlyss was a founding member of Sioux Valley Genealogical Society and of Tea Area Historical Society. Before the advent of internet research, she researched Norwegian ancestry back 22 generations (including the great grand nieces/nephews) prior to 1400. She traveled to 50 states and 12 countries. Members of her family received quilts for birthdays and Christmas for many years. Though Verlyss refused to wear jeans, she made over 200 denim quilts for high school seniors at church, friends, and other clients. She was secretary of the 100th and 125th anniversary planning committees for the city of Lennox. She belonged to Trinity Lutheran in Tea as a child, Bethany Lutheran in Hurley for three years, was confirmed at First English Lutheran in Lennox in 1953, and a member again from 1957 until her death. She taught Sunday school, served on committees, led Bible studies for circle, was an officer of the women’s group many times, and was secretary of the church’s 100th anniversary committee. Her grandfather Peter A. Jacobson signed the incorporation papers for First English in 1912. Verlyss was an early adopter of technology, buying her first computer in 1988. She took thousands of photos, made scrap books for nieces, nephews, church, city, and school and kept over 20,000 pictures on the computer. Her signature color was green from the living room couch, to the carpet, and even the microwave. She made hundreds of quilts and table toppers for gifts, decorating at church, and sale. She liked hats, long, painted fingernails, high-heeled shoes, chocolate, new cars, and matching outfits. She did not like hot weather, house work, cleaning up after cooking, and students who would not do assignments. Verlyss survived pink eye several times, whooping cough, scarlet fever, 3-day measles, German measles, regular measles, mumps, chicken pox, and Covid. In February 2024 she was diagnosed with a rare anemia and became dependent on blood transfusions. Verlyss was preceded in death by her parents, Edward in 1957 and Dorothy in 1999, sister Vynita in 2022, brother-in-law Roger Bultena in 2020, and grand nephew-in-law Reid Wendell in 2020. She is survived by her sister Vyona Bultena, nephews Lance (Jayne) Bultena, Daris (Robert Terry) Bultena, and Damin Bultena; grand nieces and nephews Kealey (Jordan), Cody, Kaylene (Dan), Luke (Cameron), Cadin (Bailey), Marin, Camden (Brinlee); great grand nieces and nephews Miriam, Lorelei, Theodore, Kathryn, Collin, Cooper, Warner, and Christian.

Verlyss Jacobson

May 14, 1939 - February 9, 2026

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