Earl Clark Jacobs

HUNTSVILLE….. Earl Clark Jacobs died Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at a Huntsville Hospital. He was 92.

      Funeral services will be held on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at 3:00PM at Rocky Head Baptist Church in Ariton.. Burial will follow at the Mt. Olive Cemetery in Ariton, Alabama with Military Honors. Family will receive friends from 2:00PM until 3:00PM at the Church. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home is assisting with local arrangements.

     In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorial contributions be made to the Gideon's International, P. O. Box 291 Ozark, AL 36361.

     Brother Earl, who was born April 10, 1931, in Ariton, Alabama, Dale County, to Ernest V. Jacobs and Jewel Clark Jacobs. He was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and was a U.S. Army Veteran. He was a 1950 graduate of Ariton High School, received his B.S. Degree in Mathematics from Troy State University and received his master’s degree in Church Music from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Earl spent his early years working on the family farm and taught Mathematics and Chorus at Carroll High School before beginning his ministry as an Ordained Baptist Minister.

     From 1973 to 1993, he served for 15 years at First Baptist Church Hartselle serving as Youth Minister and Music Minister and 5 years as Senior Adult Minister and Music Director. After retiring from First Baptist, he then served several years at New Friendship Baptist Church and then at New Life Church.

     He was preceded in death by his first wife of 65 years, Irone Davis Jacobs, a daughter, Patricia Jacobs Ballard, brothers; Harold Jacobs and his wife, Katherine, and Kenneth Jacobs.

     Survivors include his wife, Margaret Jacobs; daughter, Erlene Jacobs Clark (Kenneth); brother, Franklin Jacobs (Maxine); son-in-law, Roger Ballard; sister-in-law, MaryAnn Jacobs; grandchildren, Jason Smith (Chris David), Jared Smith (Hope), Joshua Clark (Charity), Kevin Clark (Hailey); five great-grandsons; and five great-granddaughters.

     Serving as pallbearers will be Josh Clark, Kevin Clark, Jared Smith, Jason Smith, Gary Willoughby and Evan Willoughby. Honorary Pallbearers will be, Cole Clark, Rhett Clark, Shane Clark, Jonah Clark, and Beau Clark