Retired longtime Monroe County Circuit Judge Dennis J. Jacobsen of Waterloo passed away May 4 at the age of 76.

Jacobsen, a Democrat, was elected Monroe County State’s Attorney in 1976. He was appointed to be an associate judge in the 20th Circuit Court for five years. In 1984, he was elected the resident circuit judge. He retired from the bench in 2001.

Upon graduation from Ss. Peter & Paul High School in Waterloo and a brief time at Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Jacobsen served four years in the U.S. Air Force. After receiving an early release, he graduated from the University of Illinois as a journalism major. While working his way through school, he was employed by the Champaign News-Gazette. After graduating, he worked at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Then, he decided to go to law school.

After graduation from University of Illinois Law School in 1972, he took an internship with the Illinois Senate for a year. Then he was appointed Parliamentarian of the Senate while working part-time at a Springfield law firm before working full-time at a law firm in Champaign.

For his complete obituary, click here.