Thelma Marie Lurz was born August 18th, 1949, to Forrest and Hellen (Walker) Hesselgesser, in Bassett, NE. She attended elementary school in Burwell, NE until 1963, when the family moved to Valentine, NE where Forrest became a custodian with the Valentine school district. Thelma played flute and was the majorette for the marching band. She graduated from Valentine High School in 1967.

Thelma married Gene Lurz on April 13th, 1968, in Valentine, NE. They lived in Nebraska for a couple of years and then moved to the rural South Dakota community of Lakeview (11 miles north of Crookston, NE) where they have ranched and raised their family for the past 45+ years. Thelma was a proud mother to three children. Christopher Dean was born in 1969, Kevin was born in 1973 and Colleen Kay was born in 1975.

Thelma loved the country life and all that came with it. She enjoyed spending time out in the yard tending to the flower beds and the gardens that she and Gene planted each year (their "eating" gardens often became "canning" gardens), working with their livestock, and enjoying the various pets that they had over the years. Thelma was a great partner to Gene and could often be found out on the tractor raking in the hayfields, changing a flat tire, or up to her elbows fixing something that was broken. She also enjoyed going to Merritt Reservoir fishing, camping, and spending time with her family and friends.

In the fall of 1997 Thelma took a job in Rosebud, SD as a TB outreach worker with the Indian Health Service through the South Dakota Department of Health. She enjoyed the relationships she made with the people that she worked with and also with the patients that she served. Her dedication and hard work led co-workers to nominate her for the National 2013 IHS Director's Award, which she was later awarded. She enjoyed having that outreach position with the IHS for just over 16 years and retired in January 2014.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one infant son Kevin, her sister Louella and brother-in-law Donald Nekuda of Rochester, Minnesota.

Thelma is survived by her husband Gene of Lakeview; son Christopher and wife Lori Lurz and grandsons Alex (21) and Kyle (15) of Valentine, NE; daughter Colleen and husband Eric Johnson and grandsons Nathan (15) and Clayton (12) of Sioux Falls, SD; brother Clyde and wife MaryAnn Hesselgesser of Lake Jackson, TX; and sister Maryetta Smith of Lake Jackson, TX.

After a hard-fought 6-year battle with cancer Thelma departed this life on Saturday, January 2nd, 2016 in Valentine, NE. Register book signing will be on Sunday, Jan. 10 from 9 AM to 9 PM at Sandoz Chapel of the Pines. Funeral services will held January 11th, 2016 at the Lakeview Christian Reformed Church with Pastor Mark Langenbach officiating. Burial will be at the Lakeview Cemetery at a later date.

She will be remembered and greatly missed by those who knew her as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, a thoughtful and caring neighbor and friend who always had time to help and spend time with others.
Sandoz Chapel of the Pines was entrusted with service arrangements.