Romelle Kurtz

Romelle M. Kurtz, 84-year-old resident of Nowthen MN, formerly of Harding MN, passed away at her home surrounded by her family on Friday, June 16. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 7 at 11:00 A.M. at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Harding, MN with Father David Maciej officiating. A visitation will be held from 9:00 A.M. until the hour of the service on Friday at the church. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.   

Romelle M. Gross was born on April 2, 1939 in Lastrup, MN to the late Roman and Amelia (Gallek) Gross. During WWII The family moved to Portland Oregon to help with the war effort, where Romelle attended Kindergarden to the first grade. After the war the family returned to Lastrup, where Romelle finished grade school and then attended Father Pierz Memorial High School in Pierz, MN.  Romelle was united in marriage to John J. Kurtz on January 3, 1957, at St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church in Lastrup, MN.

The young family moved to Apple Valley, MN with infant son, Stephen, for a short time until John’s work relocated them to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They returned to Harding to help take care of the family hardware store in 1959 with new baby daughter, Judy. That is when Romelle’s passion for the hardware business was ignited. Her Kurtz Ok-Trustworthy Hardware storekeeper career spanned 30+ years. During that time two more daughters, Karen and Jill, were born. She worked along side her beloved husband, John, until his untimely passing in 1987. Romelle continued to run the hardware store alone until it was destroyed by a fire in 1990. She then continued on at Walmart as the hardware department manager for the next 13 years, where she was known as “The Paint Lady”. She took an early retirement due to an automobile accident. In 2017 Romelle moved from her home in Harding to live with her daughter Jill, in Nowthen, MN.

Romelle liked to be productive and had a number of hobbies including but not limited to quilting, flower gardening, and baking. She was an accomplished seamstress and becoming an enthusiastic quilter was a natural progression of her talents. Her quilts were both beautiful and practical, which perfectly met her requirements for a worthwhile endeavour. Her prolific propagating and sharing of plants with everyone will keep her memory alive in many family and friends’ gardens for years to come. Bananas and rhubarb were always in demand so she could bake bread and muffins to share with her family. The banana bread baking was a regular and a serious operation to ensure a fresh supply of loaves to give the grand children and great-grandchildren at each visit. The light of Romelle’s life was her grand children, and great-grandchildren; her love for them was deep and fierce. She cherished every moment she spent with them. Romelle also enjoyed bending the rules on ice cream, popsicles and other sweet treats when the parents weren’t looking.

Left to cherish her memory are her children: Stephen (Lori) Kurtz, Judy (Earl) Breyfogle, Karen (Rich) Kapsner, Jill (Erik) Kurtz-Libby; 8 grandchildren (aka Snow White and the Seven Dwarves); 9 great-grandchildren; sister, Janet (Rod) Brixius, and sister-in-law, Joanne Gross.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Roman and Amelia; husband, John; and brother Ronnie Gross.

The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to The American Lung Association. www.Lung.org

Emblom Brenny Funeral Service is Cherishing the Memory and Celebrating the Life of Romelle.