Muriel Jacobson Leafstedt

Muriel Jacobson Leafstedt

San Antonio, Texas, formerly Sioux City

The world lost a noble and loving light with the passing of Muriel Jacobson Leafstedt, born Dec. 6, 1938, to Lowell and Marie Jacobson, and died in San Antonio on Sunday, July 24, 2022.

Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 315 E. Pecan Street, San Antonio. Arrangements are with Porter Loring Mortuary, 1101 McCullough Ave. Online condolences may be made at www.porterloring.com.

Muriel was born in a farmhouse in rural Bridgewater, S.D., and raised in the farming community of Alcester, S.D., alongside her brother, Lowell Dale, and sister, Melva. Salutatorian of her high school class, Muriel worked her way through a bachelor's degree in Home Economics at South Dakota State University in 1960.

She married Stuart Leafstedt of Alcester on July 3, 1960. With her new husband she moved to Chicago, where he completed medical school at Northwestern University. The couple had their three children during Stuart's medical residencies and military service in Portland, Ore., and Merced, Calif. They eventually returned to the Midwest to live in Sioux City, which would be the family home for the next three decades.

Deeply proud of her Norwegian American heritage, Muriel possessed superior business skills, all of which she credited to her years as a small business owner, an uncommon endeavor for a woman of her generation. She joyfully owned and operated the Lazy Daisy, a needlework and knitting store in downtown Sioux City, nurturing her lifelong love of textiles, color, and creative handwork, and inspiring her children's own creative pursuits. Throughout her time in Sioux City, she was also active as a lay leader at Trinity Lutheran Church. After her husband retired she served many years as chief financial officer for Morningside Lutheran Church. Many boards of directors benefited from her sharp attention to finance and wise management practices. Her grace and good cheer in all settings earned her ready admiration throughout her life.

In 2001, Muriel and Stuart relocated to San Antonio, where her son Carl had settled with his family and where she could enjoy some warmer winters. An abiding love for music defined her life. With friends and family she attended hundreds of concerts in her later years. She never turned down a chance to hear a good organ recital. Intellectually curious her entire life, she reveled in the cultural activities available to her in San Antonio. She enjoyed good health until age 79, when she was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disease that led to her rapid decline.

Muriel is survived by her son Carl Leafstedt (Ann) of San Antonio; daughter Anne Leafstedt Hussian (Jack) of Minneapolis; son Matthew Leafstedt of Switzerland; eight grandchildren, Wendell, Kent, Ian, Julia, Ellen, Erik, Marc, and Mia; nieces and nephews; brother-in-law James Leafstedt (Melva); and sister-in-law Beverly Jacobson (Lowell Dale).

Memorial gifts may be made to the Sioux City Symphony, the St. Luke's Foundation (UnityPoint Heath), the Stuart W. Leafstedt Faculty Development Fund at the University of South Dakota medical school, or to the charity of your choice.