Betty Jacobs was born Betty Jean Pierce, on November 8, 1924, near the small farming community of Hubbard, Iowa.

Her parents were Clement Zimri Peirce, the local veterinarian and Mildred Leone Pierce, elementary school teacher of a one room schoolhouse. Clem Pierce died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1940, when Betty was only sixteen years of age. Her mother Mildred never remarried, but later became creative director of the Federal Bake Shops in the Midwest. Betty enrolled as a nursing student at the University of Iowa, becoming an RN, eventually teaching nurses training.

In 1947, Betty married Rene Curtiss Jacobs, known to all as Jake, cousin to the Boeke family of Hubbard, who owned the town’s funeral home. Jake was a career army officer, and father of Betty’s three sons: James, John, and Robert. The first two sons were twins, born in 1948, the third son, Robert, arriving nine years later. Jake often said, “We waited to have the third one because we were afraid they came in twos.” Betty had a great sense of humor, a necessity for her life with Jake. In those early years of their marriage, Betty’s life was focused on being an officer’s wife and a wonderfully devoted mother to her three sons.

She continued her career as a Registered Nurse, after the family moved to California; where she was head nurse of the night shift at San Jose Hospital. Later, Betty became a Head Start nurse in Fullerton, CA, and eventually District Nurse for the Placentia Unified School District until her retirement.

Jake passed away in 2006, and Betty lost her son John in 2020. Betty died peacefully in her sleep, aged 101, on July 18th 2026, at Eskaton Village, Grass Valley, CA.

As a nurse, she believed life was about helping people. That is what she did, as long as she was able.

Betty is survived by her two sons, James and Robert, two daughters-in-law, Amy and Tish, one grandson, Garret, his wife Tricia, and two great grandchildren, Jonas and Jackie.