3/18/2009 – News
Volume 126, Number
Esmond native had interesting life, tragic death
Word has been received of the tragic death of Esmond native Vivian (Rauk) Jacobson as a result of a house fire on Lake Six near Frazee, Minn. Mrs. Jacobson, 92, died Nov. 1, 2008 as a result of the fire which occurred the evening of Oct. 30, 2008. The West-Kjos Funeral Home of Detroit Lakes, Minn. was in charge of funeral arrangements.
Her daughter, Lynelle, had been in Fargo and as she returned to their home that evening, she heard the smoke and fire alarms go off. She ran to the front door, opened it and saw billowing black smoke and felt intense heat. She yelled for her mother, was overcome by smoke, went out, got a breath and went back in. She yelled again and her mother yelled back. She went out to get a quick breath of air and went back in, waving her arms back and forth until she found her mother, clasped her wrist and pulled her out of the burning house.
Emergency vehicles arrived and took both to Perham, Minn. where a medical helicopter transported them to Regions Hospital’s burn unit in St. Paul. Both were badly burned. As soon as Lynelle was taken off the respirator, she went to her mother’s side and stayed there until her mother died in her arms.
Vivian Jacobson had a full and very interesting life. She was born into a musical family at Esmond Dec. 10, 1915 to Hans and Sophie Rauk. She graduated as salutatorian of Esmond High School at the age of 14 and entered Moorhead State College at the age of 15, majoring in music, dramatics, band and education. While in college she participated in the choir, orchestra, band and was an accompanist for activities, as well as taking part in dramatic presentations. She was a sports enthusiast, participating in basketball, softball and volleyball. She was also a cheerleader. After two years she received a teaching certificate. She was 17 years old when she began teaching at a one-room school near Esmond.
She went on to teach another nine years in North Dakota elementary schools and high school music in Belgrade, Minn., where the choir won national honors. In 1943 she taught at Lake Crystal, Minn. where her choir put on musicals sponsoring US Savings Bond sales and funding for the USO.
In 1945 she was named USO program director for the European Theater.
"One unforgettable moment was playing the funeral march on a grand piano, accompanied by the Bastian Sumphony Orchesstra in the Corsican Square for President Franklin Roosevelt’s memorial service, surrounded by thousands of armed forces at attention. It was overwhelming," she stated in a 1989 interview.
She was the lady who took championship boxer Billy Cohn over a two-week period to units stationed on Corsica. She was with Mrs. Patton at the bedside of Gen. Patton when he died. She took part in General Eisenhower’s parades in Europe and was master of ceremonies for USO shows played by Frank Sinatra, Phil Silvers and the original quartet from the musical "Oklahoma." She always said the highlight for her at these shows was being the featured performer with the Army Air Force Dance Band.
After 28 months with the USO, she returned to the US to prepare for her next assignment at the Taj Mahal and found she was also accepted at UCLA’s Drama Department. But all that changed with a proposal from Donald E. Jacobson of Cooperstown. They were married and moved to Moorhead, Minn. where she resumed teaching in the Moorhead School District for 31 years. She supervised music, piano and was affiliated with the Tri-College Student Teaching Program in which she still holds the international record for supervising 245 student teachers.
She was elected to the Minnesota State Music Board in 1979 and conducted workshops, counseled in the elementary program and was host to the National Music Convention in Minneapolis, Minn. in April of 1980.
For 10 years she was the chaperone for the Fargo-Moorhead AAU swim team.
Her husband was the general manager of Twin Cities Construction of Fargo.
The family moved to their home on Lake Six near Frazee after retiring in 1979. She continued writing and directing many original musicals, centennial celebrations and volunteering at several nursing homes and health care centers. She was president and program chairman of the Golden Agers a non-denominational group that was sponsored by the First Lutheran Church of Detroit Lakes for 22 years. She was also active in the retired teachers organization, the VFW Auxiliary and other auxiliaries, church organizations and many volunteer efforts.
Among the volunteer efforts was performing during the ND Centennial in 1989. She was asked by Buckshot Hoffner, the executive director of the ND Centennial and also one of her former students, to present musical programs in various North Dakota communities during the summer.
She was director of an Esmond School reunion program at the school gym July 8, 1989. A tornado touched down and damaged the school gym roof just as the program was completed at 8:30 p.m.
Survivors include a son, LeClaire (Susan) Jacobson of Fargo; a daughter, Lynelle of Frazee; and three grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 2000 at the age of 80; a son, Lydell; three sisiters, Gladys Rauk in 1925, Evelyn Rice in 1997 and Helen Austinson in 2008; and a brother, Palmer Rauk in 1998.
Vivian Jacobson
Warwick Warriors
The basketball season for Benson County teams has ended. But before it did, these Warwick kindergarten students got in on the action by painting their faces for a pep rally. Left to right are Brooklynne Little, Winter Bigtrack and Mark Shaw.
Students of month
Students of the month for February at the Warwick School are pictured. Left to right are Hillary Archambault, Mariah Redfox, Tachella Feather, Shania Georgeson, Ava Redfox, Danielle Owlboy, Kristina Archambault and Hunter Lufkins.
Perfect attendance
Students at the Warwick School who had perfect attendance in February are shown with Elementary Principal Steve Jacobson. Those with perfect attendance are Hillary Archambault, pre-kindergarten; Marlin Demarce, kindergarten; Jackson Delorme and Mallory Demarce, first grade; Samantha Archambault, Jordan Bertsch and Angel Georgeson, second grade; Sage Bertsch, third grade; Kristina Archambault, fourth grade; Jace Baker, Patrick Little and Samantha Owlboy, fifth grade; and Jose Guy, Dana Jackson and Meggan Joramo, sixth grade.
Martial arts at Leeds
Ryan Arndt of ATA Martial Arts of Devils Lake demonstrates blocking techniques with Leeds first graders as he teaches them about courtesy, respect and manners. ATA Martial Arts stresses life and skills training with physical skills and provides classes for those between the ages of four through adult. Left to right are Tristin Burtchell, Ryan Arndt and Jacob Pfeifer practicing blocking techniques.
HERE IS THE CAPTION FOR LEEDS ARNDT AND ENGSTROM:
Ryan Arndt shows Macy Engstrom the stance to take before blocking.
Grand Prix winners
The annual Awana Grand Prix race was held Sunday, March 8 at Bethany Evangelical Free Lutheran Church in Esmond. Car design winners were, left to right, Jay Garcia, third place; Kenadi Lee, second place; and Will Rice, first place.
The race winners were, left to right, Braydon Follman, first place; Kenadi Lee, second place; and Jessica Hill, third place.
Wins $1,000 Savings Bond
Kathleen (Katie) Rice, the daughter of John and Barbara Rice of Maddock, won a $1,000 US Savings Bond as a result of her written essay in the Patriot’s Pen contest on the national level. She placed 20th nationally with her essay entitled, "Why America’s Veterans Should Be Honored."
Her essay previously won first place on the local, district and state levels before advancing to the national level.
Patriot’s Pen, a VFW sponsored youth essay competition for grades 6, 7, and 8 and home-schooled students, is an opportunity for them to write essays expressing their views on democracy. More than 115,000 students participate in the contest annually. Katie is a home-schooled student.
The Robert Tovsrud VFW Post 757 and its Auxiliary sponsors the local contest. Lucille Westby of Maddock is the VFW Auxiliary’s youth chairman.
Minnows galore!
Baker native Lance Loken of Bismarck and some friends went darkhouse spear fishing on Island Lake north of Wolford March 7. "It appears the lake will winter kill as swarms of minnows were coming up for oxygen," said Loken. "It made fishing almost impossible as we could hardly see through them." They didn’t have any luck with fish and ate venison for supper that evening.
Here’s a pile of dead minnows on the ice on Island Lake. There were piles of minnows like this next to every place people had been fishing. "When you think of what it takes to buy minnows for fishing, these represent a small fortune if you had some kind of tank to keep them alive," Loken said. The ND Game and Fish Dept. estimates up to 20% of the lakes in North Dakota will winter kill this year.
Warwick pep rally
The Warwick School cheerleaders and Coach Karissa Smith fire up the Warriors at a pep rally just before the Region 4 boys’ basketball tournament. Left to right are Amanda Robertson, Samantha Joramo, Danica Jackson, Chassie Guthrie, Justine Ross and Brittni Baker.
Senior Leland Cavanaugh is a good sport for one of the pep rally games.
Athletic Director Trevor Yetterboe participates in one of the pep rally games with kindergartener Kalista Jackson and senior Kyle Langstaff.
Competes at NDSU
The Benson County Hippology Team traveled to Fargo February 6 for NDSU’s Little International Hippology Contest. Senior team members were Katie Rice, Katherine Sears, Jessica Johnson and Kelly Fragodt.
Kya Knoke also participated as a Junior Hippology competitor. She was on a team with some other competitors from Wells County. The senior team received third overall as a team and Katie Rice was second high indidvidual. It was their first contest as senior judgers. Left to right, front row, are Katherine Sears, Jessica Johnson and Kelly Fragodt. In the back row are Kya Knoke and Katie Rice.
Members of the senior team shown with their trophies are, left to right, Katie Rice, Jessica Johnson, coach Janna Rice, Katherine Sears and Kelly Fragodt.
The Benson County Hippology team traveled to Valley City March 6 for the ND Winter Show Hippology Contest. On the junior team were, left to right, Katie Rice, Kya Knoke, Katherine Sears and Jessica Johnson. They placed first overall. At this contest everything is done as a team so there were no individual awards. The FFA team consisted of Janna Rice, Kristine Keller and Kelly Fragodt. They placed third as a team and individually Janna Rice placed first and Kristine Keller placed ninth.
Favorite author
Arnikka Thompson, a third grader at Leeds School, got to meet her favorite author, John R. Erickson of Perryton, Texas after a lyceum he gave at the Rugby High School Auditorium February 26. Erickson writes the Hank the Cowdog story series. Arnikka is the daughter of Tony and Carol Thompson of Harlow.
