susan skoglund Lissa holding Louis & Jake lookin super cool sitting on the back step of our home on Frankson Ave

Anna Skoglund Skoglund family portrait

Len Gallagher Doesnt seem possible that time has moved So quickly Loads of good days and great memories

Rachel Davis Fun times in the dorms at NIU!

Charles Wagenknecht If you ever had a chance to spend the day on a lake with Jake then you were one fortunate homie. This day we spent "up north" with our long life friends Tim Gallagher and Dylan Beard. Exploring that lake and surrounding backwoods meant the world to us. We had so many epic adventures growing up fishing, hiking and camping there. It's one place Jake considered home away from home. That area represented an important part of his soul. Once we we're up north nothing else mattered but nature time and good talks and a whole lotta laughs. That weekend we ended up at a nice Sandy shoreline that bled perfectly into the most inviting birch trees, super lush pines and just a really beautiful looking woodsy beach front. We parked the boat there and this beach was vast with it's sand bottom being waist to chest deep. It was absolutely temperature perfect and you could wade out really far so we did! There were a considerable parties going on and a volleyball net in the lake where everyone was having a great time. That day we felt moreless like were on a tropical island than at a lake. We lived it up, that was an amazing day! We had so many days like that but that weekend was really something out of a story book. You know Jake was always cracking jokes and in his best light on a day like that things couldn't of been better.

Kelly Chesnik Our first adventure while teaching abroad.

jay skoglund Jacob loved fishing, He always caught bigger fish than I did, even when we would switch poles.

Kelly C Always looking for the best shot.

Anna Skoglund Jake’s first summer back after moving to Bahrain

Michael Seuring Jacob, The world was wilder and magical wherever you were in it. You walked without fear, and those who walked with you walked fearless in your trail. Your spirit lived and moved in wigwam, glade, fungi and glacier. Thus did ours, as well. I shudder to miss you. You dwell now, not in the shadow of His wing, not around his throne singing 'holy, holy, holy', but clinging to the cliffs of his Holy mountain; that old spark in your eye that was never of this earth, but from your true Father. It shone and spoke the reckless, raging fury of His love to us in a tongue few, save you, knew. But the best of you spoke the deep, savage truth we all know yet tremble to believe. Our Father, who art in heaven, fierce and wild be your name Forgive us our tameness as we forgive those who would tame us

susan skoglund Uncle Jake was great with little Wyatt!

jay skoglund Jake visiting us in Iowa. "You moved where?" camera almost always in hand

David Allan My time in Bahrain with Jake were some of the happiest in my life. He was always looking for the next adventure, and we wanted us along for the ride.

Kelly Chesnik Holding a civet and learning about the world’s most expensive coffee.

David Allan Then there was that time we all spent eating Nasi Goerang for a week in Indonesia. What makes a good one? I don't remember, but Jake knew.

susan skoglund

Anna Skoglund Thanksgiving with the Hansen family cousins - Jake shared pictures and videos from his time in Bahrain

Tim Gallagher Cool picture idea Jake had for us on a pontoon boat ride you can see him charlie and me in my nephew dylans sunglasses

Anna Skoglund Family Christmas dance party

Anna Skoglund Family Christmas

susan skoglund Trick or treat!

susan skoglund Thanksgiving in IA- 4 cooks in the kitchen!

susan skoglund Anna & David’s rehearsal Dinner

susan skoglund Anna & David’s wedding

susan skoglund Amelias first camping adventure

susan skoglund Fun time at the pumpkin patch

susan skoglund

susan skoglund Amelia loves to swing & her Papa used to swing her for the longest time of anyone. She loved it!

susan skoglund Easter at Nani & Poppy’s

Jared Thompson My name is Jared and for those that do not know me I was Jake's roommate for two years in Bahrain. Bahrain was a special place for me and for many here. Some of us were there for only one year, some two or three, and others more. This group of people has stayed a supportive family through thick and thin and it is no different today. Whenever I think of Jake I think of three things. 1. He could always make me laugh. Jake, Ben and I took a trip to Croatia to check out the gorgeous national parks there. 3 or 4 days in we all got sick from some street stand kabobs we ate. Needing to be near toilets didn't deter us though and we still made the best of it. I will never forget walking home after a full day and night of activities and watching Jake, not complaining of gut pain, but singing and dancing down the street making up a song about how sick we all were. Its hard to feel too terrible when you are busy laughing. 2. He could make friends with ANYONE I am sure there are many here with a similar story. Here we are out on the town in Thailand. The 5 of us, Kelly, Ben, Jen, and Cassidy had lost Jake. We couldn't find him ANYWHERE. We were getting worried but then he just showed up. When we asked what he had been up to he told a story about how he had ran into a guy that owned a business and they had struck up a conversation. One thing led to another and Jake was being introduced to all of the business owners friends. Jake made more friends in one night than I can make in a year. 3. Teacher I don't know a teacher that makes kids feel more seen, safe, special. Jake's legacy will be the countless lives that he touched. The students that, when no one else was there, Jake was. The students that after having Jake as a teacher knew someone definitely loved them. I know that there are so many students that proudly hold onto a doodle or drawing Jake made them. I know that they look at it and remember a teacher that truly cared. They remember the person that believed in them so hard that they started to believe in themselves. Jake was a great friend and teacher to so many. He was loved by more than he knew. I'm sad that I don't get to make any more memories with him but I am overjoyed that I have so much to look back on. Thanks Jake for being a great friend, roommate, and travel buddy. You changed me for the better without even trying.