Nathan William Jacobson January 1, 1975 - January 14, 2020

“The strongest man I’ve ever known.” Free from pain at last!

Nathan William Jacobson was born January 1, 1975 in Wheat Ridge, CO. He died in his home in Genola, UT on January 14, 2020 after a very long and hard fought battle with a number of autoimmune health diseases, extreme nerve and bone pain and various other health problems he valiantly struggled with throughout his life.

Nate grew up working for his dad building homes at an early age, culminating in his teen years where he ran crews of men twice his age and developed the work ethic and skills he would use in business the rest of his life. His family built homes and lived for a brief time in Payson and Santaquin, then settled in Orem for his junior high and then high school years at Mountain View HS. He earned his Eagle Scout Award and Duty to God Award. He was very musically talented and earned a scholarship to play the bass during his senior year of high school in 1993 at the former UVCC in Orem. There, on a random music department tour through Southern Utah, he met the love of his life Vicki who just happened to have transferred to UVCC after two years at BYU and was in the chamber choir. It was love at first sight, and they have been together ever since.

He earned enough money to pay for half of his mission to Scotland for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1994 where he served very honorably. Nate had a unique ability to relate to people very well and he was well loved by his companions and the Scottish people. Unfortunately, it was on his mission where he had his wisdom teeth removed under general anesthesia and they broke his jaw socket. This injury plagued him throughout his life.

Vicki waited for him to return home and they picked right back up. Nate spent the fall guiding elk hunts in New Mexico and Colorado, then asked Vicki to marry him. They were married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on May 2, 1997. Both say that day was the best day of their lives.

Nate earned his general contractor’s license that fall and started his own tile and remodel company. In addition to tiling, he hired on to work for a log home building company “just to learn how to do it.” He met some of his lifelong friends—two of whom still work for Nate currently.

In April 1999, Nate and Vic welcomed their first son Nathan Hunter. Three weeks later, they broke ground on what would be their home for the next 19 years in Mapleton, UT. Nate would build log homes during the day, spend evenings and weekends working on the new house and juggle spending time with Vicki and Hunter. He was very good at making sure his family knew they were #1.

In spring of 2000, they moved into their home and Nate discovered antlers were being sold on eBay! Alpine Antlers was born. He had already been taking photos and video of shed antlers he picked up and live animals on the hoof, as they say. He began filming various hunts for local outfitters and friends and began to compile hours of footage. In 2003, he produced his first of two mule deer hunting videos Burly Bucks.

Also, in the spring of 2000, he started a fence company with his friend Aaron called Stonehenge Fence & Deck. Later buying Aaron out and with Vicki by his side, Nate was a one-man band—building, routing and selling fences and decks for years during the warm months while buying and selling antlers, building antler furniture, and videography during fall and winter. Over the years, Nate expanded Stonehenge and hired a stellar group of people who helped build it into a top quality company with an impeccable reputation for excellence. Nate treated his “team” like family and wanted more than anything to make sure they were taken care of and in turn, they have taken care of him so he could focus more on his health.

In May 2001, Hatch McKay joined the family. Nate would take his two favorite shed hunters with him whenever he could over the next few years. He also had the boys working with him in fencing and selling antlers. The family would attend the week-long antler rendezvous in Jackson Hole each year and Nate became a key figure in the small tight-knit group of antler buyers.

In March 2007, after trying to add to their family for years, Sierra Lucille capped off their family and was the apple of her daddy’s eye. The moment she was placed in Nate’s arms, she looked up at him and grabbed his finger. He melted and said, “You can have anything you want!”

In Nate’s free time, he enjoyed fishing, camping or hunting with Vic and the kids or skiing with his brothers or motorcycling, boating, hiking or anything else adventurous. He loved life, loved his family, and loved his friends. His unfortunate ski accident in 2009 caused life-long problems with his back and neck. He had multiple surgeries to fix broken vertebrae and had titanium plates holding his neck in place but the pain never went away and only got worse. He also dealt with severe asthma, sinus, and stomach problems throughout his life.

Despite the pain, Nate thought only of other people. He would do anything to take care of his mom and other members of his family. He would anonymously donate money, fencing and antler furniture to various charities and organizations. He would send flowers to his sisters on holidays or “just because” to his wife. He asked his bishop who needed help in the ward for Christmas and would make sure those families had a good Christmas. He mostly cared and worried for his own family and helped coach sports and always made time for his kids.

Nate was good at everything he tried to accomplish. He truly magnified the call to develop his talents and increase his knowledge on a daily basis. He was a gifted musician and brilliant businessman who was successful with everything he did.

Nate was very spiritual. He had a wonderful relationship with his Savior and would spend a great deal of time doing missionary work among his own friends and family.

As Nate became sicker in the later years and his body was breaking down, he kept going and trying and doing. He wanted so much to be around to see his kids grow up, marry and have kids of their own. He was thrilled to be able to hold and love his new baby granddaughter, born just 6 weeks ago. Nate was recently well enough to ordain his son Hatch to the Holy Priesthood which was a great honor for him. He wanted to retire with Vic and just go fishing or golfing. His family achingly watched him suffer day and night as he forged ahead, tough as nails and fighting the good fight. Toward the end, it was heart-breaking not knowing how else to help. Nate could feel his brother Dale’s presence often lifting him up when he was at his worst. Now, Nate is pain free and at peace and rest in the loving arms of his Savior and with Dale… until we meet again.

Nate is survived by his loving wife of 22 years Vicki Kirk Jacobson of Genola, UT; 2 sons Hunter (Kylee Gladden) of Springville, UT and Hatch, 1 daughter Sierra, 1 granddaughter Everlee Jacobson; his dad Baltzar Hans Jacobson (Lori Stevens) of Mapleton, UT, his mom Carolyn Smith of Orem, UT; 3 brothers Benjamin (Kirsten Ripley) of Spanish Fork, UT, James (Tiffany Cook) of Spanish Fork, UT, Russell (Trisha Sweeney) of Pleasant Grove, UT; 4 sisters Elizabeth Forsloff (Adam) of Lehi, UT, Rebecca Welch (Adam) of Provo, UT, Mary Whyte (Jeff) of Lehi, UT and Amy Woods (Freddy) of Salt Lake City, UT; 5 step siblings Kirsten Bonnet (Taylor) of Yerington, NV, David Warren (Stephanie) of Riverton, UT, Michael Warren (Sarah) of Springville, UT, Kayla Trost of Eagle Mountain, UT, and Stephen Warren (Kristen) of Santaquin, UT. Nate is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by 1 brother Dale Jacobson, 1 nephew Brigham Welch, 2 uncles, and by all 4 grandparents.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at the Mapleton Red Church, 1215 North 1000 West, Mapleton, Utah.  Family and friends may visit on Friday evening, January 24, 2020 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 187 S. Main Street, Spanish Fork, Utah, and on Saturday morning at the church from 9:45-10:45 a.m. prior to the service.   Interment will follow at the Springville Evergreen Cemetery.

We ask to have any donations please be sent to A Child’s Hope Foundation, one of Nate’s many organizations that was dear to his heart. www.achf.org/donate.

Flowers may be sent to Walker’s Mortuary, 187 S Main, Spanish Fork, UT 84660. Thanks to all for your love, support, and friendship to Nate and his family!