Elma H. Jurras

MONTPELIER - Elma H. Jurras, 99, formerly of Main Street, Montpelier, and more recently of The Gardens in Williamstown, died peacefully on March 10, 2018, at Woodridge Nursing Home in Berlin, Vermont. Her daughter-in-law, Linda, was with her at the time of death.
Born on Feb. 21, 1919, in Peitarsaari, Finland, she was the first of two children for her parents Gustav Felix and Ida (Toikkanen) Holmquist. Following the death of her father, Elma emigrated with her mother and younger sister, Ethel, to the United States, leaving from the Swedish port of Goteberg in 1927. A lifelong lover of music, she spoke of her memories of sneaking up to the dancehall to watch the adults, admiring the women in their "flapper" dresses. They arrived at New York's Ellis Island in May 1928, and were met by their American sponsor - her mother's sister, Matilda, who had traveled from Graniteville, Vermont, to meet their ship.
The family later moved to Barre, where Elma attended the Matheson School and graduated from Spaulding High School. She often spoke of the customs her family brought with them from "the old country" - the Finnish sauna her aunt had in the yard, the lutefisk they ate on Christmas Eve with milk gravy, and summer days spent on "Finn Hill" with other Finnish families on Greenwood Lake in Woodbury, Vermont.
After her graduation in 1938, Elma worked at Fishman's store in Barre. In 1942, she married Robert F. Shambo, who was in the military, and they moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where they lived for several years. In 1943, she gave birth to her son, Robert. Upon returning to Vermont, Elma eventually divorced and returned with her son to the home of her mother and stepfather William Hill.
On Sept. 1, 1956, Elma married Henry G. Jurras, of Montpelier, longtime sports editor for the Montpelier Evening Argus/Times Argus. She took a job with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles in Montpelier as a temporary employee, and retired as a supervisor 29 years later, in 1977.
Elma was a volunteer for Central Vermont Hospital, the Meals on Wheels program, the Montpelier Food Pantry and other charity organizations, and was the chair of the Benefit Shop thrift store run by the CVH Auxiliary for many years. She was fond of summer vacations on the Maine beaches and Lake Groton, and enjoyed many outdoor activities, especially golf. She was known for her active participation as a member of the Montpelier Elks Country Club, where she was a member of the Ladies Golf Association and the Elks Emblem Club.
Elma is survived by two grandchildren Robert P. Shambo and Kathleen Shambo, both of Norfolk, Virginia; daughter-in-law, Linda Shambo, of Barre; a great-grandchild, James Marsha IV; nieces and nephews; and longtime friend, Claire Guare. She was predeceased by her husband, Henry, on May 10, 2008; her son, Robert G. Shambo, on April 7, 2011; and her sister, Ethel Mann.
A graveside memorial service will be held in the spring in Berlin Corners Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Central Vermont Humane Society, P.O. Box 687, Montpelier, VT 05601.
Online condolences may be sent to www.guareandsons.com.