Robert “Bob” Jacobson might just be the last local businessman to wear a suit and tie to work in downtown Garretson every day. He’s practiced law and certified public accounting with tax services since 1975, when he started his own practice here in Garretson.
“It was a different time, and fashion has changed,” he said. “When I was first out of law school it was suit and tie every day, and when we started in Garretson we’d see a lot more of it at the downtown businesses. Nowadays, I’m pretty much the only one on Main who still does.”
Jacobson is originally from Sioux Falls, and attended O’Gorman and Washington High Schools.
“It was a bookkeeping class that piqued my interest in accounting,” he said. “Then when I attended USD and majored in accounting, a professor encouraged me to look into business law. So I got a degree in accounting and a law degree. I started out with Arthur Anderson, a public accounting firm in Minneapolis, MN. Michelle and I wanted to move back to South Dakota and start a family, and I also love hunting and fishing and couldn’t do that as well in the Twin Cities. We were introduced to Garretson by John Thoreson, and it was the right fit at the right time. I’ve specialized in bookkeeping tax services as well as contract and estate law.”
If you’ve never received a handwritten note from Jacobson, then you might not know what amazing penmanship should look like. When asked about it, he chuckled and had this to say.
“Well I can use a ballpoint like everyone else, but when I need to sign something for a case or legal document, I like to do it well,” he said. “It actually goes back to my wedding, when we received a set of fountain pens as a wedding gift. I still use those pens and I have a quill and inkwell for signatures or special occasions.”
Jacobson said that he’s got a lot that he’s grateful for.
“I have had wonderful clients, and I truly appreciate them,” he said. “Good relationships that have often blossomed into a lot of friendships over the years. Many of these clients we’ve had a great deal of longevity with, and I truly appreciate their trust.”
“Over the years I’ve had a lot of appreciation for my secretaries,” he said. “Keeping notes and having to type forms, many times being self-taught. My wife Michelle has truly been the best of course, and truly kept me on course, and I could not have had the successes we’ve enjoyed without her.”
“A lot has changed over the course of the last fifty years,” he said. “Computers have changed everything. Many kids today might not know what a typewriter even is if you showed one to them. Computers have certainly changed the way everything is done. Correcting forms, carbon paper with plastic overlays, copies and fax machines, all of these things have changed just in my working lifetime.
“About four years ago, Michelle decided that she was ready to retire. I wasn’t quite ready, so I decided to keep on going without her being here full time for a while longer. With 2020 here, I think it’s finally time.”
Because of those long-time clients however, he isn’t just closing his doors. Instead he’s passing on those clients to Tim Ness, who will continue to provide the tax and bookkeeping service part of the business. The Jacobson’s will be hosting an open house coffee and cake social this Sunday, Jan. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to celebrate Bob’s retirement and to introduce Ness to their clients and to the community.
We would also be remiss not to mention Bob Jacobson’s model train collection, which has run steadily in his window for decades. Also most importantly, his long-time affiliation with the Commercial Club and downtown Christmas lights that he’s made possible all up and down Main Ave. These topics are so big , that they deserve a separate article, so look for that to appear in the Gazette in the near future.
Retirement party for Bob Jacobson & Meet and Greet with Tim Ness.
Sunday, Jan. 5th, 2020
10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Coffee & Cake
Bob will be retiring after 44 years of legal practice and tax services in Garretson. Tim Ness will be taking over the tax service side of the business. So come celebrate with Bob and meet Tim on Jan. 5, 2020. No gifts please.
