Glenda Gautsche Hurst

After 83 love-filled years, Glenda Gautsche Hurst has gone to her eternal reward. She passed away peacefully on July 10, 2024 at her home at Greencroft, Goshen Indiana, having recently transitioned to hospice care and having shared loving good-byes with many family and friends.

Born on July 1, 1941, the last of Oscar and Herma (Nofziger) Gautsche’s seven children, Glenda grew up on the Gautsche farm north of Archbold Ohio surrounded by older sisters and brothers, along with many nieces and nephews that started arriving when she was only seven years old.

After graduating from Pettisville High School, she attended Goshen (Indiana) College where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1964.

Her life-long career and vocation was nursing, and she served in various capacities and locations. After graduation, she moved to Kotzebue Alaska, an Inuit village above the Arctic Circle where she worked as a nurse in a US Public Health service hospital. Years later she was both a Director of Nursing and Operating Nurse in Monticello Georgia. After her first husband died, she returned to Archbold Ohio and worked as an Industrial Nurse at Sauder’s and Campbell Soup. Then she served as a nurse in a Middlebury Indiana medical office. Interspersed were positions in hospital emergency departments and a psychiatric mental health center.

Being a nurse, in addition to her deep faith, was core to her self-identity. Indeed, when a hospice worker said to her a couple of weeks before her death “I hear you have been a nurse,” Glenda’s response was “I AM a nurse!”

In 1969 Glenda married John Allen and became stepmother to Mark, Chris and Beth. They lived in Monticello Georgia on Jackson Lake until his death in 1983.

On July 11, 1987, Glenda married the love of her life Gerald R. (“Tony”) Hurst on the Gautsche farm, becoming stepmother to Michael and Benjamin. Glenda and Tony were happily devoted to each other for over 31 years until his death in February 2019. They lived in Middlebury Indiana, and later in Goshen.

She and Tony traveled over ten times to Israel where they spent time in Jerusalem and participated in archaeological digs in the Qumran area. On these digs they developed many deep and diverse friendships from around the world.

She also continued her life-long dedication to her nieces and nephews; indeed, being a devoted aunt was also core to her identity. Her nieces and nephews remember her remarkable ability to make each one feel incredibly special. Her undivided attention and thoughtful questions made her a favorite aunt to many. One of the oldest fondly remembers a childhood moment when Glenda was in high school and took him home to the farm on the school bus, making him feel so grown up.

Glenda's joyful spirit was truly infectious—a beautiful soul who brought happiness wherever she went. Her nieces and nephews remember their Aunt Glenda’s great hugs; she always gave an extra tight squeeze when saying both hello and goodbye. Her love for adventure was evident in the way she embraced life to the fullest. One of her lasting legacies will be her squeals of delight in the simple things, be it singing a special song, swinging in the barn, jumping river rocks, propagating African violets, or diving into family history.

Indeed, Glenda's vibrant spirit and zest for life will always be remembered and cherished by those who had the privilege of knowing her.

In 2009 Glenda and Tony retired to a condo in Goshen, and then in 2022 Glenda moved to Central Manor at Greencroft.

Glenda was preceded in death by her first husband, John Allen; her second husband Gerald “Tony” Hurst; her parents Oscar and Herma (Nofziger) Gautsche; and her siblings and siblings-in-law: Doris and Robert Ebersole, Mary and Victor Diller, LeAnna (Sauder - Dale’s wife), Delmar and Donna (Klopfenstein), Alice and Allen Schmucker, and Richard. Her step daughter Chris (Allen) King also preceded her.

Glenda will be deeply missed by: brother Dale Gautsche of Archbold Ohio, and sister-in-law Eunice (Little) Gautsche (Richard’s wife) of Elkhart Indiana. Stepchildren Michael Hurst (Tawnya) of Waynesville Ohio and their daughter Hannah, and Benjamin Hurst (Leah) of Goshen and their children Katie (Evan) Grimes of Jacksonville Florida, and Simon (Madeline) of Goshen; stepchildren Mark Allen (Jill) and Beth Allen. Special sister Patricia Hammer with husband Mike of Toledo Ohio. Plus, dozens of adoring nieces and nephews along with their spouses and children.

A private burial was held Saturday, July 13 at Violet Cemetery in Goshen. There will be a Celebration of Life service on Saturday, August 10 at 12 noon in the Meetinghouse inside the Greencroft Healthcare building.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Tony’s name to Shiloh Israel Children's Fund (shilohisraelchildren.org) or to American Friends of Mitzpe Yeriho (american-friends-of-mitzpe-yeriho.org/current-projects/archaeology.html).

Condolences can be sent to Yoder-Culp Funeral Home yoderculpfuneralhome.com.

The family would like to thank the staff and caregivers at Greencroft Evergreen Place and Healthcare and the Goshen Hospice team for their dedicated and compassionate care, and to family and friends for your love, visits and prayers.