Dean Jacobson

About Dean

Wilton “Dean” Jacobson, 89, of Park Rapids, MN died on Sunday, November 12, 2023 at the CHI, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids, MN.

Dean Jacobson was born December 18, 1934 in Clearbrook, MN to Roy and Myrtle (Berg) Jacobson. In 1952 he graduated from Bagley MN High School and became a carpenter, working with his brother Roger. Little did he know when he first started making things from wood that it would become his lifelong career.

Dean married Sharon Aloise Brown on August 10, 1957 at First Lutheran Church in Bagley and they would remain married until her passing in 2019. The couple started their marriage with Dean entering the Army, being stationed in Florida and Georgia. It was at Fort Benning in Columbus, GA where they had their only child, Shannon Lynn. After fulfilling his time in the Army, they returned to Bagley, MN where Dean once again picked up a hammer and continued to hone his skills, making things from wood. The family moved to East Grand Forks, MN where Dean built potato barns and other structures for Harry Tack Construction. He then moved to Innes Construction where he was a finish carpenter, and later a very skilled cabinet maker. He worked the rest of his career for Lowell Innes in many of his ventures. Many homes in North Dakota and Northern MN still have kitchens, bathrooms, entertainment units, and other features designed and build by Dean.

Every home the family lived in was remodeled or custom built by Dean. Along the way he found time to build a cabin on Island Lake where the family enjoyed summers of water skiing and winters of snowmobiling.

In “retirement” (he failed to really ever stop working) he built a new home in Park Rapids, MN, and surprisingly, kept building beautiful cabinets and items from wood. In fact, in his shop when he passed, were two projects he was working on.

Dean loved to snowmobile (anything under 3000 miles was a bad year), water ski (into his 40's), help Sharon in the garden, mow the lawn (multiple times some weeks), play with his dog, carve items from wood (culminating in a set of Norwegian doors for a home), and turn bowls and other items on his wood lathe.

He was an active volunteer. His quiet nature had him always working hard on every project (even into his 80's), with his lifelong lessons in craftsmanship speaking for his efforts. Projects included working on several homes for Habitat for Humanity (again with a hammer in his hand) and at Hubbard United Methodist Church (where many wooden items came from his shop.) He and Sharon helped to create the Hubbard Pines Memorial Garden at that church as well.

Dean is survived by his daughter, Shannon Palma (Mark), his two grandchildren (Michael and Kelly). Dean was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon, his siblings Roger, Devona and Jerome.

memorial service

Funeral Services for Dean

November 20, 2023

Hubbard United Methodist Church 12150 Main St, Park Rapids, MN 56470, USA

Rev. Lauren Hauger will be officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at church. A lunch reception will follow the services at church. Interment will be held at the Bagley City Cemetery.

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Cease Family Funeral Home