Published: June 19, 2007 10:59 pm         

Palestine soldier remembered for sense of humor, jokes

Palestine, Ill. — A 20-year-old remembered for his jokes and sense of humor died during the weekend while serving in Iraq.

U.S. Army Pfc. Jacob Tracy of Palestine, Ill., died on Sunday in Iraq from injuries suffered in combat, his obituary reports. Tracy had been in Iraq since March, said Jim Goodwine, the funeral director at Palestine’s Goodwine Funeral Home. Several people remember the young man who was voted “most talkative” in his Palestine High School class for his humor.

“He was a lot of fun,” said Mandie Campbell, who added that she was Tracy’s ex-girlfriend who remained his friend and had attended the same high school. “He was never boring.”

He was always making jokes and was “kind of sarcastic,” Campbell said.

“… Like you couldn’t be mean to him because once you did, he’d say something that’d make you laugh,” she added, “and you just couldn’t be mad anymore.”

Palestine High School teacher Marilyn Fritchley taught several subjects to Tracy, and remembered that he “had lots of energy, always talking.”

“He was a fun-loving kid,” she said, while at the school Tuesday. “He liked to have a good time.”

He worked at Brock Food Town when he was younger, said Anna Jean Purcell, a cashier at the store. He also would spend time with her grandson, Brad Ramsey. When the two men were younger, they would occasionally do jobs for her if she made cookies for them, she said.

It was “just something I’d want done,” Purcell said, “and I knew I could get it done a lot faster if I had a batch of cookies made.”

Tracy sometimes played basketball with a group of friends that included Ramsey. Ramsey added that he and Tracy would hang out a lot after school.

“Hanging out and everything, he would always make it fun, no matter what we were doing,” Ramsey said.

Tracy served in the U.S. Army 2nd Brigade, First Troop, 8th Calvary, his obituary reports. Funeral arrangements were pending at Goodwine’s.

Austin Arceo can be reached at (812) 231-4214 or austin.arceo@tribstar.com.