Obituary of Donna Lynn Jacobs

Donna Lynn Merriman Jacobs, director of senior community When Donna Lynn Merriman Jacobs became the director of the Baptist Towers senior living community in Covington, the seven-story apartment complex had a little more than 40 residents. As of Monday, it had 115, which is about the most that it can handle, said Bob Long, CEO of Baptist Life Communities, which owns the complex. He gives Mrs. Jacobs the lion's share of the credit for turning the complex around. "She worked awfully hard," Long said. "She marketed the building to the medical community, she let them know what services were available." Mrs. Jacobs, who died Wednesday at 55, took the job three years ago when she moved to Florence. "A stubborn girl came in and fixed them right up," said her sister, Cindy Riechers of Salina, Kan. Long said Mrs. Jacobs worked very well with older people, and knew when to give them a dose of tough love. She also could be tough with her staff, to make sure they did what was expected of them. And she worked well with the families of residents, to help them make the difficult decision to put their loved one in personal care. "I don't think there was anyone who ever met her who didn't think she cared about them," Long said. Born in Salina, Mrs. Jacobs grew up in Assaria, a small town just south of Salina. She later moved to Albuquerque, N.M., where she became a registered nurse. She returned to Kansas and married John E. Jacobs in 1979. They raised seven children together, a "yours, mine and ours" family. Her husband was from Cincinnati, and they had often talked of resettling in this area. Three years ago, they decided it was time. In her spare time, Mrs. Jacobs loved to read, especially mystery novels. She also collected hundreds of Beanie Babies, tiny stuffed animals popular in the early 1990s. A sufferer from high blood pressure, she had a massive heart attack 12 days ago that damaged her aorta. "She didn't give up very easily," her sister said. Other survivors include her husband; sons, Kenneth Johnson of Washington, Kan., David Johnson of Rincon, Ga., John R. Jacobs and Kenneth Jacobs, both of Salina, Kan., and Glenn Jacobs of Florence; daughters, Traci Jacobs of Goodyear, Ariz., and Lori Jewell of Cincinnati; her mother, Majorie Wilvers of Salina, Kan.; a sister, Susan Anderson of Salina, Kan.; 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Ryan's Mortuary, Salina, Kan. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence, and from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at Ryan's Mortuary. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery, Salina, Kan. Memorials are suggested to Memorial Garden, c/o Baptist Towers Senior Living Community, 800 Highland Ave., Covington, Ky. 41011.