Charles City Press Thur. June 11, 1968

Jacobs Elevator Story

For Harold Jacobs, Charles City's May 15, 1968, tornado was a personal tragedy and created huge responsibility –

He's getting around well again and is back at work rebuilding the business which he and his father operated for 18 years, but it won't be the same for Harold Jacobs, His father won't be there to help around the office and do all the little things that were so helpful.

Art Jacobs was one of the 13 victims of the May 15 tornado. Harold, who is second ward councilman, missed the first meetings of the council as he was home with his injuries. He's nearly recovered now, with a large cut on one leg still giving him some difficulty.

He anticipates the elevator will be back in operation about Sept. 1, but may have the other buildings up sooner. The Jacobson Construction Co., Ray, N.D., Is the contractor.

When the first hard winds started, Harold Jacobs said he was blown outside and his father was in the office. "I was coming in from the west and was in a hallway and about that time the big window blew out and I saw my Dad go across the room. I think he hit the big safe, that's what killed him. He was standing straight up."

The sound of the tornado was like a big roar to Harold. He thought that the lights were still on in the office when the main force hit when he was blown outside.

Bill Jacobs, his son, and Cletus Beamer, an employee, had gone outside to put away a truck and Bill's motorcycle. They were ready to go back into the office, but it was too late and they had little chance to move.

The two jumped under the elevator and "it seemed to come right back out". They were in their place of safety momentarily.

Just before the blow, Robert Young from the Deep Rock station (located north across the street) came to the office to warn the Jacobs and their employees. Harold Jacobs said that he did not see Young afterwards as he was pinned in the office. "There were light poles and everything in there."

A worried Kenneth Carr came at the time to inquire about his wife, the office bookkeeper (Elaine). But she had gone home earlier, (to make a birthday cake for her 14 year old son Denny).

Carr took the fatally injured Art Jacobs to the hospital, going around the way of D St., but he was slow on arrival at the hospital.

Harold Jacobs was himself covered with blood from the thousands of tiny wounds caused by flying glass and debris. His body was peppered with blotches and his under shirt was in shreds.

After the family laid the senior Jacobs to rest in the Clarksville cemetery, the difficult task of resuming a normal life has begun. For Harold Jacobs, this was a big task, in addition to his family's sorrows, his personal injuries and rebuilding the business, he must also assume the gigantic task of helping set the guidelines of rebuilding Charles City.



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WATERLOO SUNDAY COURIER, WATERLOO, IOWA,
SUNDAY, MAY 19, 1968, PAGE TWENTY-FIVE.

Storm Victims' Rites Are Held

(COURIER NEWS SERVICE)

CHARLES CITY - Funeral services for four victims of the killer tornado here Wednesday were yesterday in Charles City at the St. John's Lutheran Church.

The victims were August Merten, Marie Greenless, Arthur Jacobs, and Mrs. Carl Wolff. All were buried in Riverside Cemetery.

Mr. Merten, 67, a member of St. John's Lutheran Church and a volunteer fireman for 36 years, is survived by his widow, Lois; a son, Herman of Charles City; a daughter, Mrs. Paul Marrs of Waterloo; and a sister, Mrs. Ella Borthel of Minneapolis, Minn.

Mrs. Wolff, 77, a native of Charles City, is survived by her husband, who was injured in the tornado; a son, Wesley of Des Moines; two brothers Ernest Haller of Charles City and Herman of Los Angeles Calif.; and two sisters Gertrude Smith of San Gabriel, Calif., and Mrs. Julia Newton of Hackinsack, Minn.

Mrs. Greenless, 82, also Charles City native, is survived by a brother, John Nickles, and three sisters, Mina and Christina Nickles and Mrs. Anna Skemp, all residing at the Chautauqua Guest Home; and a daughter-in-law, Mrs. Louis Horsley of Sumner.

Survivors for Mr. Jacobs were not available, but include his son, Harold, a Charles City councilman.


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Fatalities May 15, 1968
tornado at Charles City:
MRS. RAY (SADIE) CHAMBERS.
MRS. VIRVAL DAWSON.
MAY GAULT.
MARIE GREENLESS.
HARRY HALL.
JOHN KNEISEL.
MRS. JOHN (MINNIE) KNEISEL.
MRS. LeLANE (FLORINE) LEACH.
MURRAY LOOMER.
ARTHUR JACOBS.
AUGUST MERTEN.
ROBERT STOTTS.
MRS. CHARLES (LELA) WOLFF.


Charles City tornado May 15, 1968
A Virtual Cemetery

Robert Stotts was a student teacher from the University of Northern Iowa and the youngest victim of the Charles City tornado on May 15, 1968, at age 22. Sarah (Sadie) Chambers was 77. The Kneisels — he was 89 and she was 83 — were killed in their Cedar Terrace apartment; Greenless, 82, also died at Cedar Terrace; Gault, 85, died in her north side home; Jacobs, 82, was killed in his office at Jacobs Elevator; Wolff, 77, died in her Freeman Street residence; Merten and Hall, both 67, were killed in Merten's shoe repair shop near Trowbridge and from debris that struck Hall's Sears van respectively; Leach, 54, died en route to a Waterloo hospital from her injuries; Dawson, 45, died at home on 19th Avenue; and Loomer, the oldest victim at age 95, died at home on Richings Street.