Perle Jacobs

is honored with a Brick from Rose Marcus

My mother, Perle Esther Gross was born March 15, 1911 in Chicago. She was the second child of Bertha and David who went on to have six more children: six girls and two boys. She met and married my father, Charles Jacobs, in 1931.

They lived in Baltimore for 17 years and had two children, Gerald and Marilyn. In 1948, they moved back to Chicago to be near her family and for better business opportunities for my father. She felt blessed to be near her own large extended family and a wonderful circle of friends. She was active in Jewish charitable organizations, acting as recording secretary in two of them. Her favorite outside activity was playing cards and, boy oh boy, was she ever good at it. She was born with terrific card sense and used it to the fullest.

In later years, after my father died, she would spend one-to-two months at a time in Wichita. It became a second home to her. Not only did she have a wonderful extended family there, including her sister Milly, brother-in-law Sam and nieces and nephews Howard and Rose and Jerry and Mimi and their children, but a wonderful group of friends. She was loved by many and she will always be remembered in Wichita as "Aunt Perle."

My mother was truly a wonderful person in the truest sense. She beat cancer twice and overcame many of life's hard knocks, yet always had a smile on her face and a positive attitude. All she asked for out of life was to see her children happy and her grandchildren happy and healthy. She saw both!

She would feel very honored to have her name in the Plaza of Heroines at Wichita State University. Thank you for the opportunity.
Submitted by Marilyn Jacobs Diamond

photo: Perle Jacobs (left) pictured with Charles Jacobs and Milly Marcus