Carolyn Ward Jacobs

Carolyn Ward Jacobs, 97, of Prairie Village, Kansas, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2026 leaving behind a life deeply and beautifully lived.

Carolyn Ann Ward was born on September 29, 1928, in Bryan, Ohio, to Harry and Louise Eppinger Ward. She grew up as an only child and had no cousins. Carolyn dreamt of one day being a part of a large family. Her father Harry was a traveling salesman and was gone from Monday morning to Friday evening. As such, she developed a very special relationship with her mother, Louise. One of their favorite activities was to take the train to Cleveland for shopping trips. Louise passed on her sense of fashion and style to Carolyn—a gift she carried throughout her life.

During high school, Carolyn had the distinction of becoming the Ohio state archery champion as well as homecoming queen. After graduating from Bryan High School she went on to attend Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. It was there she met the love of her life, Frank M. Jacobs. They were united in marriage on June 16, 1950—two days after her graduation from college.

Carolyn then got to work on her childhood dream of being part of a large family. She and Frank raised four children while making stops at Baltimore, Malvern and Paoli, PA, Dundee, IL and Des Moines, IA. Carolyn was the glue that held the Jacobs family together as Frank was busy building a business. She was a kind and sweet mother but also ready to administer justice when needed. Each of her children developed a strong moral compass and skills to be successful. She was also a dedicated spouse—supporting Frank through his battle with and ultimate recovery from alcoholism.

After her children departed the nest, Carolyn and Frank moved on to Horseshoe Bay, TX and later Prairie Village, KS. It is then that Carolyn shone as the matriarch of the Jacobs family. One of the amazing gifts she leaves behind are needlepointed Christmas stockings and crocheted baby blankets she made for each one of her 13 grandchildren. Carolyn modeled how to be an ideal mother for her adult children and their spouses and grandmother for her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She taught us all how to build and maintain a close-knit family. The Jacobs clan shared countless treasured memories at Horseshoe Bay and Lake Okoboji. One of her favorite sayings was “family is everything.” The extraordinary fact that Carolyn’s grandchildren today go out of their way to spend time together is a testament of the example she set. The bottom line is that her childhood dream of a big family was fulfilled and she considered it to be her greatest blessing.

Beyond family, Carolyn loved opportunities to adventure. She and Frank spent many of their golden years traveling—particularly by car and riverboat. Carolyn was an avid and accomplished bridge player and golfer—having made the first hole-in-one in the family. We all fondly remember her saying “I just love life.”

Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved husband, Frank M. Jacobs. She is survived by her four children: Stephen (Vickie) Jacobs of West Des Moines, Iowa; Kim (Randy) Schlegel of Ankeny, Iowa; Mark (Janet) Jacobs of Scottsdale, Arizona; and Jill (Mark) Peterson of Mission Hills, Kansas. She also leaves behind a legacy of 13 grandchildren (plus spouses, fiancés and significant others) and 10 great grandchildren (and one on the way).

The family would like to acknowledge Carolyn’s team of caregivers who provided amazing care and service over the last several years. There will be a celebration of Carolyn’s life on Friday, April 17 at 1:30 PM at Claridge Court, 8101 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas 66208. Following the service, all are welcome to gather with the family to share memories in honor of Carolyn. A private family inurnment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made in Carolyn’s name to a charity of your choice.