82-year-old JoAnn Helen Hurst, retired Chaplain and Spiritual Director, passed away on Saturday, August 29, 2021 at Bon Secours Hospital in Greenville, SC from complications associated with the Covid-19 virus.
Formerly of Jasper, IN, she was born on June 22, 1939 in Chicago, IL as the fourth child of the late Nicholas J. Mueller and the late Betty (Cukierski) Mueller. She married the late Guy J Hurst in 1961 in Elmhurst, IL, and they settled in Jasper to raise their children. They were blessed with 32 years together before Guy’s passing in 1994.
JoAnn was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. An avid community volunteer in Jasper, she was a member of St. Joseph’s Church, the Eucharistic Ministry and the Stephen Ministry.
After raising her 10 children, she went back to college and graduated from St. Michael’s College in Vermont, becoming a hospital chaplain and spiritual director at Bon Secours Hospital in Greenville, SC. While in Greenville, she was a member of the Widowed Persons Organization and Prince of Peace Catholic Church. Her spirituality, strong faith and community involvement were instilled in her children.
JoAnn was a joyful presence that engaged with all those who came into her world. She was open and kind and had a laugh that would lift the energy of a room. She was not afraid to speak her mind on all subjects and loved a good debate, always wanting to understand others’ viewpoints. While she would question and share views, she was also accepting of others.
She was creative, curious, and a lifelong learner. She was always reading up on the latest and willing to try new things. Her artistic pursuits included painting, knitting/crocheting, essential oils, jewelry-making, and cooking, among many others.
She was the beloved mother of 10 surviving children: Peter Hurst of Plant City, FL, Christine Ring of Travelers Rest, SC, Marie-Louise Hurst-Henry of Reston, VA, Roberta Hurst of Seattle, WA, Guy Hurst of Manassas, VA, Tony Hurst of Jasper, IN, John Hurst of Jasper, IN, Phillip Hurst of Indianapolis, IN, Laura Roof of Esch Sur Alzette, Luxembourg and Vicky Labuguen of Edmonds, WA. She is also survived by 17 grandchildren.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 7th from 4pm to 8pm at the Becher & Kluesner Downtown Funeral Home in Jasper, Indiana. Masks will be required.
A private Mass of Christian Burial service for immediate family will be held at 9:30am on Wednesday, September 8th at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Jasper.
A Live Stream will be available through FaceBook Live:
Procession and Interment will be open to all following mass at 10:30am at Fairview Cemetery Mausoleum.
For those who wish, Memorial contributions may be made to the JoAnn Helen Hurst Memorial Fund: https://gofundme.com/f/joann-helen-hurst-memorial-fund
