116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Karen Frances Jacobs
Age: 82
City: Cedar Rapids
Funeral Home
Murdoch Funeral and Cremation Services
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Karen Frances Jacobs
Karen Frances Jacobs
Cedar Rapids
Karen Frances Jacobs, 82, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025. Visitation will be held from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion, Iowa. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Walker Cemetery in Walker, Iowa.
Karen was born on April 22, 1942, in Winona, Minnesota, the daughter of William and Margaret (Washburn) Caldbeck. She graduated from Washington High School. Karen was united in marriage to Richard Ivan Jacobs on August 6, 1960, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Their union was blessed with four children: Scott, Tricia, Greg, and Brian.
She loved bowling and riding her Honda 175 alongside her husband. In her younger years, she was an enthusiastic softball player. She took great pleasure in playing Bingo and testing her luck at the slot machines. Her hobbies also included camping, fishing, and creating ceramics. More recently, she enjoyed spending Wednesday afternoons playing cards with close friends. She was a devoted fan and loved watching the Iowa Hawkeyes, Chicago Cubs, and Green Bay Packers. She treasured every moment she spent with her family. Karen will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Karen is survived and lovingly remembered by her four children, Scott (Lanny Wilkerson) Jacobs, Tricia (Chad) Willenborg, Greg Jacobs, all of Cedar Rapids, and Brian (Dee Dee) Jacobs of Osage Beach, Missouri; nine grandchildren, Jeremy (Chelsea) Jacobs, Robin Jacobs (Quentin Harvey), Jacob (Allie) Willenborg, Luke (Bailey) Willenborg, Rachel Willenborg (Brett Hardeman), Courtney (Derek) Siddell, Tyler (Kelsey) Jacobs, Bryanna Long, and Lilyana Jacobs; great-grandchildren, Milo Jacobs, Lincoln Willenborg, Lena Siddell, Franklin Jacobs; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Richard; granddaughter, Mackenzie Jacobs; and brother, Richard Caldbeck.
Please share a memory of Karen at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.