Silvia Victoria Jacobs

Silvia Victoria Jacobs, 68 year old Yreka resident passed away peacefully at her home on June 4, 2013 surrounded by her care givers and friends. Silvia came into this world as Silvia Villar Gonzalez. She was the biological daughter to the Marques of Barcelona, Spain, Jose M. Carlos-Tolra. Her mother was a famous actress in Spain and Portugal named Josephina Gonzalez who later married Werner Muller, a wealthy electric appliance inventor, shortly after Silvia’s birth. Werner Muller was an American citizen and returned with his young family, Silvia and Josephina, to Texas. On February 25, 1949 the entire Muller family was traveling at night and hit an incorrectly parked vehicle, a lumber truck, which was broke down in the middle of the highway just outside of Ranger, Texas. Silvia’s dad, Werner, died on impact while she and her mother were transported to a medical facility via a Grey Hound bus. Silvia’s mother died 25 minutes later leaving Silvia the sole survivor of the accident at 3 ½ years of age. A doctor from the medical facility took Silvia home and was granted temporary custody of her. Tracking back her biological heritage, Silvia then became known as the “Spanish Orphan” as the courts tried to determine her destiny. It was decided that the Marquesa and Marques of Barcelona, her biological father and step mother would obtain custody. Though given custody on paper, the Marquesa and Marques of Barcelona allowed Silvia to live in Connecticut under the supervision of Victor and Gyda Jacobs, the immigration attorney who worked on Silvia’s behalf. In 1951, Silvia was adopted by Victor and Gyda Jacobs, officially changing her name to Silvia Victoria Jacobs. As a young girl, Silvia remembered her father bringing over numerous chiefs from foreign countries and setting them up with restaurants all over New York and Manhattan. Silvia was a daddy’s girl and would accompany her dad to Europe or to various countries on business trips. When Silvia was old enough, she got a job at a marketing firm and traveled extensively in Europe by herself. She was rather adventurous in her early 20’s and enjoyed ballooning South of France, going on archeological digs in Israel and Egypt, and was an avid seamstress. She moved to Los Angeles and obtained a job working for ABC, CBS, and NBC working as a wardrobe specialist. She proudly worked on the Carol Burnett show with Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman, and Tim Conway. She also worked on the Smother’s Brother’s show with Tommy and Dickie Smothers. Among her other acquaintances were Danny Kaye, Dean Martin, Kate Smith, Donovan, Janis Joplin, Red Fox, Toni Tenille, George Gobel, Pat Paulson, and Steve Martin. She and Steve dated on and off for two years. In 1985, she tired of the fast paced lifestyle and bought a home in the Yreka area because she had visited here years prior and loved the tranquility of Siskiyou County. It was here she made her home on 15 acres where she enjoyed gardening, raising animals including exotic birds, cooking and quilting. She also enjoyed growing grapes from France and Italy. She had no living relatives at the time of her passing. She leaves behind her dear friend, Mary Biasotti of Yreka. A memorial service was held July 6, 2013 at her home. She will be inurned with her father at the family plot in New York.

Silvia Victoria Jacobs

May 24, 1945 - June 4, 2013