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Irma “Jane” Hurlburt

Irma “Jane” Hurlburt Irma “Jane” Hurlburt
 

Irma “Jane” Hurlburt, 87, Cornell, died Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, at Cornell Health Services.

Jane was born April 20, 1933, at home, the daughter of John “Jack” and Mildred (Smith) Ellis.

She and her nine siblings attended the Roberts and Estella country schools, then high school in Cornell.

Jane married Harold Skogmo “Bud” Hurlburt Sept. 16, 1950, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Cornell.

Once her own children were in school, she began babysitting for other kids in town and treated them like her own. She also worked a year as a teller at Northwestern Bank in Cornell.

In the early ’70s, she and Bud owned the Skogmo Clothing and Fabric store in Cornell. Jane ran it herself for almost 20 years.

She was always active in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church teaching Sunday School, serving in Ladies Aid groups and volunteering to help at banquets, funeral lunches, and anything else that could use her time and talents. She also served as a Girl Scout leader, where she shared her talents with her young Scouts and on the Legion Auxiliary, where she enjoyed working with the wives of other veterans.

One accomplishment she was most proud of, was starting a Red Hat club in Cornell, with the help of her sisters, Dorothy Beighley and Pat Ruegger.

At home, she was always on the move, changing diapers, doing laundry, cooking great meals, cleaning house, working on her flower gardens or helping us kids with our projects. Her recipe for chocolate cake has been featured at many birthday parties and her cream cheese garlic dip is a mainstay at every Hurlburt gathering.

She also enjoyed being outdoors, camping with the whole family, going to Brunet Island for picnics and a swim, cross country skiing and bicycling, too. She would often walk the track at the high school athletic fields, just to get some exercise.

Our mother, Jane, seemed to have limitless energy and always had a smile for you, no matter how hard her day might have been. Despite her many talents and the many people who loved her, she was always humble and genuinely surprised when people complimented her. She was the gentle, kind spirit of our family and deserved to have all of us by her side in her final days.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the actions necessary to protect the other residents and ourselves, we had to make some compromises. Our sisters, Ann and Sally, were chosen to be the ones by her side, and did everything possible to provide her comfort and help her communicate with the rest of us. We are forever in their debt for providing the abundance of love and care our mother deserved.

She is survived by her seven children – Brent (Kristen), Chippewa Falls, Ann (Pat) Sime, Cornell, Mark (Tammy), Eau Claire, Sally (Larry) Meyer, Holcombe, Eric (Jodi), Sheldon, Philip (Jill), Eau Claire, and Jon (Lisa), Colfax; 23 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; two great-greatgrandchildren and three siblings.

She was preceded in death by her husband – Bud; grandson – Steve Hurlburt; parents – Jack and Mildred Ellis; brothers – Harold, John, Richard and Bill; sisters – Dorothy Beighley and Helen Zaruba; and in-laws – Ruth and Harry Hurlburt.

We are planning a small, private service for just the immediate family in the near future. In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to honor her memory, is encouraged to make contributions to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Cornell.

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