+ Ardis Mae Jacobson +

Funeral Sermon for Ardis Mae Jacobson

Psalm 23; John 14:1–6

Beloved family and friends—Mark, Holly, Kathy, Jon, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all who loved Ardis—grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today we gather with a blend of sadness and gratitude, remembering Ardis Mae Jacobson. Though she just transferred her membership to I did not have the privilege of knowing Ardis personally in this life; but I have come to know her through some stories and her obituary, through the legacy she leaves behind, and through the faith she carried with such depth.

I have learned that her favorite passage of Scripture was Psalm 23—a passage that beautifully matches the kind of life she lived: grateful, resilient, creative, and confident that God truly is good.

So, for a few minutes let’s take a look at the 23rd Psalm and see how it fits into Ardis’ life.

“The Lord is my Shepherd…”

What a fitting confession for a woman whose life was full—full of experiences, full of creativity, full of love for her family, and full of determination. Holly shared something important with me when we met. She said:

“Mom had a way of telling us, ‘This is how you do it!’ She always wanted the best for us.”

There was a firmness to her guidance, but behind it, an unmistakable love. She wanted her children to flourish. She wanted them to know what was good, to pursue what was right, and to carry themselves with purpose. In a way, this is its own reflection of Psalm 23: a shepherd guiding, steadying, leading toward what restores life.

And what a path the Shepherd led her on.

Born in Crosby, growing up with a love for music and art, graduating high school in 1952, singing in the high school trio with her cousins—these early years were already shaped by beauty and creativity. She married her high-school sweetheart Harvey in 1954, beginning a life that would take them from one state to another—California, Colorado, and then to Mohall ND—as they raised their children and navigated life's adventures.

Ardis often said that her years as a stay-at-home mom were her happiest. Yet she also knew the deep valleys of life—especially the heartbreaking loss of her oldest son, Doug. Even there, the Shepherd’s words speak:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

Ardis lived this verse. She walked those valleys, and she kept going—one step, one task, one day at a time.

“He restoreth my soul…”

God gave Ardis a remarkable capacity for beauty and service. After returning to Crosby, she poured herself into work at the clinic, into the adventures of the Auto Parts Store and Hotel Café, into teaching adult art, and even into touring Europe with an art appreciation group—a treasured lifetime memory.

When she settled in Williston in 1974, this truly became home. And here she flourished. Ardis worked at Social Services and became involved with Festival ’76, was part of the Williston Hi-Light Homemakers and Toastmasters. She was employed by Farmers Union Lumber and Director of the Crisis Shelter when Lutheran Social Services came to town. Ardis and Harvey even owned and operated for 16 years Basin Cab Company.

She created costumes, performed in musicals, sewed hats, and even made one worn by Miss North Dakota for Atlantic City. She played major roles in restoring the Old Armory and the James Memorial Art Center. She even helped spark community events that still bless Williston—“Warm Up After Light Up,” “Wholesome Living Video Library,” “Antique Appraisal Show,” and celebrations for daycare providers.

Creativity, leadership, and care—these were not hobbies for Ardis. They were expressions of a soul restored by a good and faithful God.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…”

Ardis’ family remained her deepest joy. Her six grandchildren and her ten great-grandchildren gave her a “replay,” as she liked to call it, of life itself: concerts, sports, gymnastics, races, marriages, and, especially, hockey—which she loved.

She spent several years in New Mexico with Kobee and his father—another adventure guided by the Shepherd’s hand. And to the very last months of her life, Ardis marveled at her blessings. She often said—and many of you heard her say it repeatedly:

“GOD IS GOOD.”

Not because her life was without sorrow, but because she trusted the One who was with her in every season.

Surely goodness and mercy did follow her—all the days of her long, fruitful life.

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

These final words of Psalm 23 lead us directly into Jesus’ promise in John 14:

“Let not your hearts be troubled… In My Father’s house are many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you.”

These words are spoken by the One who knows the path of life and death—and who has conquered death so that it cannot conquer us.

Jesus does not say He shows us the way.

He says:

“I am the Way.”

And because He is the Way, He led Ardis safely home.

Though I did not get to know her personally in this life, here is what I do know with absolute certainty: Her Shepherd knew her. He called her by name. He walked with her through every move, every high, every heartbreak, every ordinary day, every adventure, every sorrow. He prepared a place for her. And now, at last, He has brought her home.

Ardis transferred her membership to Our Redeemer’s recently—an outward sign of her faith and desire to be rooted in the church. Today we acknowledge a greater, eternal truth:

Ardis has now a member of the Church Triumphant.

This is the Shepherd gathering His sheep.

She is at rest. She is reunited with Harvey and Douglas. She is with the saints in light. She is safe—utterly safe—in the arms of her Shepherd.

Conclusion: God Is Good

Dear family—your grief is real, because your love is real. But so also is your hope.

Ardis spent a lifetime encouraging you—sometimes strongly!—with the words, “This is how you do it.” Today, the Shepherd gives His own version of that guidance:

“Believe in God; believe also in Me.” “I am the Way.” “You will dwell in My house forever.”

Today, we commend her to Jesus, the Good Shepherd— the One who prepared her path, restored her soul, followed her with goodness and mercy, and has now welcomed her home.

And with Ardis, we say one more time:

GOD IS GOOD.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Memorial Prayer for Ardis Mae Jacobson

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being, we give You thanks today for the gift of Your servant, Ardis Mae Jacobson, whom You have now called from this life to Yourself.

We praise You for the grace You poured out upon her— for shaping her in the waters of Holy Baptism, for shepherding her through childhood and family life, for sustaining her through joys and sorrows, and for granting her a full and fruitful life. We thank You for her creativity, her laughter, her love of music and art, for her dedication to her family and her deep gratitude for every blessing. We bless You for the ways she served this community, for the friendships she cherished, and for the many lives touched by her gifts.

Lord, You were her Shepherd. You walked beside her through the green pastures of joyful years— marriage to Harvey, raising her children, celebrating grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and all the adventures You allowed her to enjoy. You held her close through the valleys— through loss, through heartache, through the death of her beloved son Douglas, and through the frailties of age. In every season, You were faithful.

Now, Father, comfort those who mourn: Mark and Darlene, Holly and Chad, Kathy, Jon, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and all her family and friends who feel this loss so deeply. Give them the peace Jesus promised when He said, “Let not your hearts be troubled… I go to prepare a place for you.” Surround them with Your love, strengthen them with Your presence, and remind them that nothing—not even death— can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Grant that we who walk the path she has finished may be strengthened by her witness, comforted by her faith, and led by the same Good Shepherd who has now brought her safely home.

Into Your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend Your servant Ardis. Acknowledge, we humbly pray, a sheep of Your own fold, a lamb of Your own flock, a sinner redeemed by Your own blood. Receive her into the arms of Your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light.

Through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.