Howard Grant Jacobson

Howard Grant Jacobson died peacefully July 9, 2010, at the Garden Terrace after an extended illness.
He was born June 23, 1923, Wilder, Canyon County, Idaho, to John E. Jacobson and Dora Grant. He had a brother Verl A. Jacobson, a sister Elma Dora Jacobson, and later was born another brother, Melvin Dennis Jacobson.
The family lived in Santaquin, Utah; Long Beach, Ca.; Oakland, Ca.; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Grant grew up during the depression. From 1930-37 his father had a cafe, store, gas pump, cabins and boating business in Strawberry. Grant grew up helping with the family business and spending time fishing and hunting squirrels.
In the winter he and his sister would stay with their mother in SLC and attend school. Grant graduated from Granite High School in May 1940 at 17 years of age. He went to work for Marler Tire and Boot Company in SLC. His job was making tire boots and reliners out of old tires. In February 1943 he was drafted into the US Army. He was assigned to the 35th Chemical Decontamination Company. Their job was to decontaminate poisonous gasses. After basic training, he was tested and sent to college for Basic Engineering at Oklahoma A&M at Stillwater, OK. On May 19, 1944, he was loaded aboard a troop ship and on May 28, 1944, sailed into San Juan Harbor. Puerto Rico was to be his home for the next 21 months. He was assigned to Company "C" 501st Military Police Battalion at Fort Buchanan. On V.J. Day, 14 August 1945, the 501st BN received the Meritorious Service Unit Award. On Feb. 16, 1946, he was discharged from the Army after three years and 21 days.
In 22 July 1946 he went to work at the General Motors Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Plant in South Gate, Ca. He was Coordinator for all chassis functions until he retired on Oct. 1, 1980, after 34 years service. He married Dorothy Griffiths from Smithfield, Utah, in 1956. They made their home in Long Beach, California. Every year they spent a couple of weeks in Smithfield with Dottie's parents, Harry and Veda.
Grant was in the Associated Car Club, a member of the Long Beach Police Department Reserve unit, and supporter of the K9 Officers of Long Beach. Dottie died April 24, 2003 and was buried in Smithfield. Grant moved to Salt Lake City on his 82nd birthday to be closer to her grave. Grant was recent convert of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Grant was a generous man and liked to visit with people and tell them about his life with Dorothy.
He is survived by his stepdaughter, Judy Jack Carter, Salt Lake City, Utah; brother Mel Mary Jacobson, Sedona, Arizona; sister-in-law Virginia Reed Spackman, Preston, Idaho; nieces Barbara Ken Berry, Sun City West, Ariz.; Theresa McAninch, Plano, Texas; Karen Sweeney, Cusick, Washington; Debra Boudria, California; Becky Kent Porter, Whitney, Idaho; Karen Jim Naylor, Dayton, Idaho; and nephews Ralph Bone, Henderson, Nev.; Michael Jacobson, California; Frank Jacobson, Idaho; and Bill Carol Spackman, Treasureton, Idaho.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at Nelson Funeral Home, 85 South Main, Smithfield. A viewing will be held from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Interment will be in the Smithfield Cemetery.