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He was known to his associates among the Brethren as "the happy Dutchman," a description he applied to himself in April 1976 in his first general conference address. Now, Elder Jacob de Jager, emeritus General Authority since October 1993, is spreading the glad news of the gospel in the hereafter, an assurance affirmed by speakers at his funeral in Salt Lake City March 1.
Elder de Jager, 81, died at home Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004, after a full life that included tireless service as a regional representative, then as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and, after receiving emeritus status, bishop of the Canyon Road Ward in Salt Lake City.
Presidents Thomas S. Monson and James E. Faust, first and second counselors in the First Presidency, were speakers at the funeral, as was President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve, and Elder Charles Didier of the Presidency of the Seventy. Audrey de Jager Poulson, daughter, delivered a eulogy.
"I've never met a person who said a bad word about Jacob de Jager," President Monson said. "It didn't matter what the subject, every time you asked about Jacob de Jager, you got a smile."
President Monson asked his wife, Frances, to stand and be recognized as one who played a significant role in the conversion of Elder de Jager and his wife, Bea. In 1960, the Monsons were in Toronto, Ontario, where he was serving as mission president. The de Jagers had moved to Toronto from their native Holland, where they had received contact from missionaries of the Church. Now, in Toronto, Jacob de Jager called the mission headquarters to request further contact and happened to reach Sister Monson. He asked that missionaries not come for a couple of days because of chicken pox in the home.
"Michael, Audrey, you prevented their baptism for a little while with your chicken pox," President Monson quipped, addressing the two de Jager children.
Sister Monson kept after the missionaries to call on the Dutch family, finally saying she and her husband would do so themselves if the missionaries didn't get around to it soon.
He said that after their baptism, Brother de Jager was assigned to hand out hymnals at Church services, a calling he approached as seriously as though it had been "secretary of state." Later, as a regional representative, Elder de Jager and F. Enzio Busche, then a regional representative and later of the Seventy, orchestrated a large area conference in Munich involving Church members from behind what was known as the Iron Curtain.
As to what he is doing now, President Monson said, "I wouldn't doubt that he's teamed up with LeGrand Richards" in spreading the gospel in the Spirit World "because 'you can't beat the Dutch.' "
President Faust acclaimed Elder de Jager as "one of the truly international General Authorities" who "traveled across the earth testifying of the truthfulness of the word of the Lord."
"Jack's influence goes much further than any of us realize," he said. He spoke of his own association with Bishop Joseph Lennox Federal, retired bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City. On one occasion after general conference, he was visiting Bishop Federal, "and he wanted to talk a little bit about conference. But he didn't want to talk about me or the other (conference speakers). He wanted to talk about the talk that that big tall Dutchman had given, which meant to me that (Elder de Jager's) influence just couldn't be confined."
President Packer expressed his assurance that "this wonderful, wonderful man is doing what he has been doing in this life since he found the Church." He spoke of Elder de Jager's remarkable ability with languages, an ability he used to spread the gospel message far and wide.
"I bear witness that this was a true servant of the Lord," he said.
Elder Didier spoke of the symbolism implicit in the name Jacob de Jager. "The name of Jacob could be defined as one who did no other thing than that which he was commanded," he said. "That defined Jacob de Jager."
And de Jager means "the hunter," he noted, defining Elder de Jager as a hunter for truth, service and joy. "I remember when he was in Asia one day, a taxi broke down on the way from the airport. And the taxi driver was very surprised to see Elder de Jager getting out of the car and starting to push the car. He was always trying to help others."
Sister Poulson remembered her father's "unique way of putting everyone at ease with his genuine love of people, infectious smile and great sense of humor."
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