Orie A. Hurlbert, 87, of Ord died peacefully of natural causes on Wednesday, November 14, 2012, at the Valley County Health System Hospital.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 20, 2012, at the Ord Memorial Chapel with Pastor Greg Barnes officiating. Burial will be in the Ord City Cemetery. Visitation will be on Monday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Ord Memorial Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Ord Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Orie was born October 1, 1925, in Armour, South Dakota, to Anna (Mikkelson) Hurlbert and Edward Hurlbert. The family later settled in Ord, where Orie and his six siblings were raised by their mother during the Great Depression.
A 1943 graduate of Ord High School, Orie was a star basketball player, an accomplished runner, and a stylish dancer. During his sophomore year, he met a pretty brunette named Luetta Kuehl in history class. They became high school sweethearts and were later married on May 25, 1947, in Ord. Orie and Luetta loved each other deeply and remained a devoted couple throughout their 65 years of marriage.
After graduation, Orie worked as an electrician in partnership with his lifelong friend Hank Adams. He later took up farming on the Kuehl homestead with the support of Luetta’s parents, Fritz and Azra Kuehl. For more than 50 years, the couple ran the family’s fourth-generation farm, located southwest of Ord. Orie prided himself on raising some of the best corn and finest cattle in Valley County.
Orie’s first love was farming, but over the years he also enjoyed bowling, playing bridge, trading stories with George Cetak, and doing woodworking projects for his family. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Elk’s Lodge, the Veterans Club, and the First Presbyterian Church.
Orie was a loving, dedicated father to his three daughters and a mentor to his sons-in-law: Pam and Doug Ackles of St. Paul, Nebraska; Jackie Hurlbert and Steve Eichenberger of Portland, Oregon; and Shelly and Eric Meyer, also of Portland, Oregon. He was always proud of the fact that he was able to send all three of his girls to college. He also treasured his three grandchildren – Kent Ackles, Kylee (Ackles) Moormann, and Emily Meyer – and his great-granddaughter, Scarlett Moormann.
In the last years of his life, Orie faced a variety of health problems that would have defeated a lesser man. But through it all, he displayed phenomenal courage and great love for his family. We love you, Orie, and we’ll carry your spirit in our hearts forever.
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