Duane "Buck" M. Jacobson

Duane M. “Buck” Jacobson, age 83, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at Prairie Lakes Hospital after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Funeral services will be held at 10:30am on Friday, July 18th, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg, SD. Father Denis Meier and Father Richard Baumberger will be the celebrants. The family has requested all attendees to meet at the church on Friday by 10:00am.

Visitation will be at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Thursday, July 17th, from 5-7pm (with a wake service at 7:00pm). Visitation will continue prior to Mass at the church on Friday.

The burial will be at Goodwin Cemetery (Goodwin, SD). Active pallbearers will be Tom Hurd, John Florina, John Jackson, Colin Schiefelbein, Ben Jackson, and Josh Jackson. Honorary pallbearers are all past and present members of the Suzanne Jacobson Memorial Committee.

Buck was born on February 23, 1942, in Pipestone, MN, to John and Grace (Fields) Jacobson. He attended Pipestone High School and went on to graduate with a degree in sociology from Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD). During his time at Augustana he met his first wife Suzanne (Charbonneau). Upon graduating from Augustana, Buck and Suzanne relocated to Chicago where Buck began his long-time career as an owner/administrator in the nursing home business. They moved back to South Dakota in 1974, adjacent to where Buck’s grandparents had homesteaded, to fulfill his dream of raising his children on a family farm. During this time, Buck obtained his pilot’s license, which allowed him to commute from the family farm to Chicagoland. Although the nursing home in Illinois began to thrive, farming in South Dakota was his true love. The farmstead would see everything from black angus cattle, to wheat, corn, and beans. Buck was a very avid hunter and fisherman, partnering in ownership of Jed’s Landing and New Evarts resorts on the Missouri River.

Suzanne passed in 1998 and in 2000, Buck married Deborah (Chell). They lived on the family farm for several years before relocating to Watertown.

Buck loved nature and loved to travel. In the late 1960s, Buck purchased property on Maui and over the next forty years, fell in love with “all things Hawaii.”  Later in life, he and Deb traveled everywhere from Alaska to Mexico. After Deb retired, her and Buck spent time doing everything from purchasing racehorses, to spending time with their grandkids, and wintering at their home in Arizona. Over the last three years, as his health began to decline, his favorite pastimes were checking on the family farmland and taking “nature drives.”

In 1999, Buck created the Suzanne Jacobson Memorial Fund through the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation. Shortly thereafter, Buck established the Lake Area Technical College Scholarship for nursing students (in Suzanne’s honor) and in 2002, Buck was named South Dakota Volunteer Philanthropist of the Year.

Buck was a member of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg, SD. He was one of the most generous/giving, caring, spiritual, and selfless members of his community. His labor and contributions to others can still be felt to this day. His top priority was to give to those who are less fortunate than others.

Memorials or donations can be directed to the Suzanne Jacobson Memorial Fund (Prairie Lakes Healthcare Services Foundation).

Buck is survived by his wife, Deborah, of Watertown; one daughter, Rachael Jacobson (Mark Morales), of Hartford, SD; one son, Dave (Amanda) Chell, of Austin, TX; five grandchildren, Colin Schiefelbein, Suzie Frentz, Lexi Coyle, Emery Stevens, and Silas Chell.

Buck was preceded in death by his wife, Suzanne; one son, Jacob; one daughter, Abby; two grandsons, Seth and Tyler; and three sisters and one brother.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel (www.crawfordosthus.com), Watertown, SD and Hayti, SD.

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