Elmer Dale Jacobs was born Jun. 8, 1910 in Luckey, OH to George Jacobs and Mary (Ford) Jacobs. At the time of his death he was living at 230 Main St. Luckey. He died at the early age of 65 after a brief illness. Elmer’s wife was Bernice J. Dauer, together they had two daughters; Judy (Charles) Mackdanz of Danville, CA and Jo (Joseph) Appelhans of Pemberville, OH.

 

Elmer was the owner-operator of the Luckey Food Market and Jacobs Market for 45 years. He helped organize the Troy Township Fire Department and served as the first assistant fire chief. He was a member of the Zion United Methodist Church Luckey. Anyone in need could always depend on Elmer to help them out.

 

Elmer Jacobs was present at the first fire department organizational meeting held in Harvey Helm’s insurance office on January 11, 1944. The meeting was called to order by Albert Webb, the mayor.  Elmer Jacobs was also one of the original members organized on January 21, 1944.

 

On Jan. 9, 1940 the apartment and meat market operated by Elmer Jacobs (owned by Gordon Huss) burned. At the time fire protection was woefully inadequate in Luckey. The Pemberville Fire Department was called for assistance. Upon their arrival the aid of Woodville, Toledo, Bowling Green and Perrysburg was requested. Bowling Green and Perrysburg were unable to leave their city limits but the Woodville department and No. 10 hose truck from Toledo responded. Capt. Roy Kinney, Toledo said the fire was raging in the Clause Building when his company arrived it spread quickly to t  he Jacobs store. For four hours firemen battled the blaze, centering their efforts on preventing the flames from spreading to the adjoining buildings. At one time the only water put on the blaze was from a half-inch garden hose which the firemen ran from the Eisenhour Garage across the street. Firemen were hampered in their efforts by a lack of water. Unable to check the fire with the supply carried on their trucks the firemen had to depend on a bucket brigade to fill the booster tanks in the pumpers. A lack of sufficient hose and the fact that the Toledo and Woodville hose lines were of different sizes prevented the firefighters from bringing water from a quarry a half- mile from the scene of the fire. The locomotive containing 5,000 gallons of water was sent to Luckey from the Stanley yards here by the New York Central Railroad but it arrived too late when the fire had burned itself out. Lost were the Claus Hardware Store, the Claus Shoe Store, Jacobs Meat Market, the apartment above and the equipment of the beauty shop operated by Bernice Jacobs. The Troy Township Trustees records between the years 1896 and 1940 were lost in the fire as Raymond Claus was the clerk at that time and the records were stored in the Claus store.

 

Reconstruction of the building was begun immediately, but took almost a year to complete. After the fire Elmer suffered a severe heart attack and was in recovery for nine months. During this time his family kept the meat market business going in a section of the old hotel. Harley Jacobs bought the building from Gordon Huss in 1974 and purchased the meat market business from Elmer, his brother in 1975. Elmer died just a year later in 1976. The Jacobs Meat Market has always been a family business. Elmer’s daughter Jo, worked for her father and Harley’s daughter, Sue and his son Mark, worked for their father.

  

 

photo property of Harley Jacob’s, Elmer Jacob’s behind the counter.