Rosalie E. Hurd

1927 - 2019

Rosalie E. Hurd, 92
May 6, 1927 - July 17, 2019
Rosalie E. Hurd, 92, of Columbia City, passed away at 6:27 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne. She was admitted on Tuesday after suffering a fall at her home.
Mrs. Hurd was born at home on West Keiser Road in Columbia City on May 6, 1927, the daughter of Clarence E. and Ellen E. (Kourt) Hively. As a young girl, she and her family moved to Huntington County where she graduated from Huntington High School with the Class of 1944.
On Oct. 11, 1945, she married James M. Hurd at the parsonage of Pastor Marion Shroyer. Rosie met and fell in love with Jim before he went off to serve in WWII. Shortly after his return, they married on Oct. 11, 1945, and drove off to Chicago to celebrate their honeymoon. Until her death, she saved every love letter Jim wrote to her while he was away fighting for his country.
Since 1955, Hurd and her husband Jim were the owners of Hurd's Auto Repair, Inc., repairing and maintaining school busses and automobiles. For the past 31 years, she was also well-known as the Whitley County Morel Mushroom Lady, providing spring orders to numerous folks. She was a member of the Oak Grove Church of God, former member of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #5582 and Fraternal Order of Eagles #1906, both of Columbia City. She was also a member of the Whitley Extension Homemakers Club. She and her daughter Janet served as cemetery sextons and cared for Oak Grove Cemetery for many years maintaining, keeping records and selling plots. For over 40 years, she and her husband Jim spent their winters in Astor, Fla. and summers in Whitley County.
Survivors include her two daughters, Sharon (Ora) Simmons and Janet Hurd, both of Columbia City; four foster children, Cindy Thompson, Columbia City, Ginger (Dan) Ford, Warsaw, Ginny (Mike) Rowland, Columbia City, and Randy Hively, Claypool; 3 grandchildren, Brent (Sarah) Simmons, Columbia City, Darren (Denise) Simmons, Columbia City, and Cammie (Greg) Casey, Albion; and 11 grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, James M. Hurd, sister, Marceil Mills and brother, Charles B. Hively.
Visitation will be held on Monday, July 22, 2019 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at 10 a.m. with Pastor Steve Johnson officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery, Columbia City. Memorial gifts may be given in Mrs. Hurd's memory to Oak Grove Special Needs Children Playground, Columbia Township Fire Department or Whitley County 4H Fair. To share family condolences, please log onto www.demoneygrimes.com