Martha Roskam

Martha Jacobsen Roskam passed away on August 8, 2025, just shy of her 95th birthday, in Carol Stream, Illinois. She was born on August 11, 1930 to Sara Aliff Averitt Jacobsen and Walter Herman Jacobsen in Oak Park, Illinois.

Martha attended Longfellow School and graduated from Oak Park River Forest High school in 1948. She was an active student and was voted "Most Popular" by her classmates. She attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois in 1952, majoring in elementary education. While at Knox she met the love of her life, V.R. "Swede" Roskam. They were married at Oak Park Christian Church, July 26, 1952 and experienced a remarkable marriage together for over sixty years until his passing on March 13, 2015.

Martha was an active member of the Glen Ellyn Evangelical Covenant Church and taught for years in the Ark Pre-School. She co-founded with her husband Educational Assistance Ltd., a nonprofit scholarship program which enabled over 30,000 disadvantaged students to attend college. In 1986 she and her husband received the Knox College Alumni Achievement Award. At a special White House ceremony in 1988 President Reagan awarded them the President's Volunteer Action Award, the nation's highest honor for volunteer service.

In 2001, while traveling in Viet Nam with her husband on business, Martha purchased several U.S. military dog tags which were being sold on the streets. Upon their return they hired a private investigator to discover the whereabouts of the American military personnel or their next of kin. They spent several years returning these tags to their owners or next of kin.

Martha was a homemaker and is survived by her five children, Stephen Andrew Roskam (Chandler Barnes), Jonathan Richard Roskam (Phyllis Bayt), Sarah Jayne Roskam, Peter James Roskam (Elizabeth Gracey), Mary Elizabeth Coote (Jonathan Coote); her 16 grandchildren, Jacob Chandler Roskam, Michaela Elizabeth Roskam (Just), Hilary Elizabeth Roskam (Estridge), Jonathan Phillip Roskam, Lily Elise Roskam, Jayne Yehuda Averitt (DuBois), Bryan David Simpson, Hope Elizabeth Simpson, Gracey Sarah Roskam (Vreeburg), Frances Elizabeth Roskam (Garcia), Stephen Andrew Roskam II, Alec Jacobsen Roskam, Ian Thomas Coote, Peter Wesley Coote, Jonathan David Coote, Jr., Philip James Coote; and her 11 great grandchildren, Andie Lou Simpson, Asher William Simpson, Ari Ko Simpson, Elijah Lee Estridge, Madeline Grace Coote, Jack Henry Coote, Benjamin Mack Coote, Santiago Judah Garcia, Theodora Lily Just, Jack Roskam Vreeburg and Aaron James Coote. She was predeceased by her grandson James Schoales (Jack) Roskam.

The visitation is Friday, August 22 from 4-7 pm at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main Street, Wheaton, Illinois. The funeral is Saturday, August 23 at 3 pm at Glen Ellyn Evangelical Covenant Church, 277 Hawthorne Avenue, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The service will be livestreamed on the church's YouTube Channel.

In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be sent to support the Covenant Benevolence Fund, Covenant Living at Windsor Park, 124 Windsor Park Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188.

*Photo credit to Frankie Garcia, Kalorama Studios.