Louise Laura Jacob

Louise Laura (Fuchs) Jacob, 99, passed away with her daughters by her side in the very early hours of October 8, 2024, following a very brief hospitalization. She was able to spend her final day with her devoted family either in person or by telephone. She was very aware of each hug given and every message of love whispered in her ear. Thankfully, she was alert to hear some of her favorite songs from an impromptu choir in her hospital room and the many prayers offered for her before joining her beloved husband in Heaven. Her passing was peaceful, gentle, and made with the same grace with which she lived. What a beautiful and incredible gift she was to all.

Louise was born on May 30, 1925, near Burton, Texas, to Robert Albert and Martha Louise (Jaroszewski) Fuchs. She grew up on her family’s farm in Burton, TX with her parents and six siblings. She and her family attended St. John’s Evangelical & Reformed Church in Burton and that was where she was baptized on August 16, 1925 and confirmed on March 17, 1940.

Louise graduated as the Valedictorian of Burton High School in 1942, attended Blinn College for a year and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. She lived and worked in Austin and San Antonio for a short time as a secretary.

But the real story of Louise’s life began when she met Kervin E. “Jake” Jacob, at a community dance. The story goes that she caught his attention by winking at him with her baby blue eyes – it worked! Louise and Jake were married on December 3, 1944, at St. John’s Church in Burton. They very happily danced through the next 55+ years together until his death in 2000.

Following Jake’s discharge from the Army, they moved to the big city of Houston and in 1946, founded their business, “Jake’s Egg Co”, in the backyard of their Heights home. Their business grew from a door-to-door egg delivery service to what is now known as “Jake’s Finer Foods”, the largest and only family-owned food distributor headquartered in Houston. Louise worked at Jake’s from its inception until several years ago when she was no longer able to drive alone to the company’s present location. Despite her absence at the building, her footprints remain on the hearts of all of those employees lucky enough to have met her. She was a treasure.

Louise was always busy with both the family and the family business. While Jake was the “Jake’s Eggs” CEO, we all knew that Louise was the Jacob family CEO! They both worked tirelessly to grow their business and raise their family but Louise had the far more difficult task as she had primary responsibility for their three daughters, Linda, Patsy & Dinah.

After moving to Houston, Louise and Jake joined Zion Lutheran Church. They were very active members and their daughters were all baptized, confirmed and married in that church. Louise was a long-time member of Zion’s choir, the Altar Guild, the Ladies Circle, and long ago, played on the Zion women’s volleyball team. She assisted with Zion’s “The Gathering” program long before she became a recipient of that ministry. She enjoyed the fellowship of Game Day, the Ladies’ Lunch Bunch and many other Zion activities. She was honored to have played the accordion at one of the Octoberfest services. Louise rarely missed a Sunday service and remained an active and engaged member of Zion until her passing.

She was also a member of both the SPJST Lodge #88, and its Birthday Club Sisters, and the past President of: the Parent Teacher Association; The Retail Grocers Association of Houston Ladies Auxiliary; and the Houston Kiwanitas.

Louise loved dancing, walking, traveling, playing cards and dominoes, collecting all types of chicken items, all sports, but particularly the Houston Rockets, solving jigsaw puzzles, playing the piano and accordion, all types of music and all kinds of people. She had an enormous capacity for friendship and stretched that way beyond ordinary limits - she was extraordinary.

She adored her family and always made each of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and their spouses and friends feel special and loved. She had a keen interest in everything they were involved with and kept up with their ever-busy lives. She loved them all wholeheartedly and received that same affection in return. She never missed a birthday, anniversary or special occasion for anyone in her immediate or extended family or for her many friends and fellow church members.

She was a neighborhood Icon and the closest grandma or great grandma that many of the neighborhood children had. She was delighted to learn that her determination and self-discipline in walking the neighborhood 4-5 days a week for over 40 years served as an inspiration for so many living around her.

Louise was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Kervin (Jake); her son-in-law, Donnie Day; her parents, Robert A. & Martha Fuchs; her siblings and their spouses: Robert G. & Celesta Fuchs, Adeline & Lespa Landua, Hildegard & Cecil Lewis; Mildred & Barney Hart; Franklin & La Verne Fuchs; and Milton & Lee Fuchs. She is survived by her daughters and their husbands: Linda & Leonard Bench; Patsy & Sam Sakowitz; and Dinah & Michael Sultanik; her grandchildren and their spouses: Shelly & Kevin Ullrich; Christy Brown; Michael & Kristi Bench; Tami Sakowitz & Nick Smoley; Lori & John Reilly; April & Chris Mallia; and Jeremy & Tiffany Day; her great grandchildren: Christopher & spouse, Helen, Jessica and Caleb Ullrich; Taylor, Jacob and Caden Bench; Campbell and Connor Oldham; Tennessee, Brooklyn and Ireland Day; and Ryan Sakowitz-Smoley; her brother-in-law and sisters-in-law Jerry & Barbara Jacob; and Jocie (Jacob) & Floyd Braun; a multitude of nieces and nephews and an enormous number of friends.

Visitation for Louise will be held Monday, October 21, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Pat H. Foley & Company, 1200 West 34th Street, Houston, TX 77018. Her funeral service will occur Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Zion Lutheran Church-ELCA, 3606 Beauchamp St, Houston, TX 77009. A committal service will follow at 3:00 PM at Earthman Resthaven Funeral Home and Cemetery, 13102 North Fwy, Houston, TX 77060.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Louise’s memory to Zion Lutheran Church, 3606 Beauchamp, Houston, TX 77009, (713) 869-1493; The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), www.apdaparkinson.org telephone: 1-800-223-2732, or to the charity closest to your heart.