Obituary of Dale Susan Hurst

Dale Susan (Folkedahl) Hurst, 66, of Duluth, passed away Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at Solvay Hospice House after a short, but hard-fought, battle with pancreatic cancer. Dale was born September 25, 1949, to Nels and Margaret (Johannessohn) Folkedahl in Thief River Falls, the sixth of eight children. She spent her earliest years in Cherry and later in Angora. She was a 1967 graduate of Cook High School. In her teens, Dale spent her summers working at the Life of Riley Resort on Lake Vermillion which allowed for activities such as fishing, swimming, and slalom water skiing. She attended Hibbing Community College where she met her husband. In 1973, she attained a Bachelor of Arts in Social Services and Sociology from Moorhead State College. Between college and marriage she worked as a social worker for the City of Duluth. Dale and Dennis Hurst were married November 2, 1974, at the Faith Lutheran Church in Chisholm. They lived in a few different locations, including Fargo and Bismarck, before finally settling in Duluth in 1984. Her daughter was born in 1976 and her son in 1980. In 1989, she started working as the Administrative Assistant for Hurst & Henrichs, MN, Ltd. She was a Girl Scout troop leader from 1985 to 2000, which led to being on the board of the Northern Pine Girl Scouts Council for a few years. She was also assistant director of the Janette Pollay Day Camp for 20 years. She provided years of support for both her daughter’s Girl Scout and son’s Boy Scout activities. She was always an avid reader which led to her being a Friends of the Library Board Member associated with the Duluth Public Library for many years. This in turn led to being a member of the Bookworm Garden Club. In 1999, she was a co-founder of the Gitche Gumee Garden Club, provided leadership in many gardening projects, is a past president and remains a member. She was a member of the Duluth Garden and Flower Society since 1999 and was the president for 2002-03. She became a Master Gardener through the St. Louis County Extension District and worked closely with the St. Louis County Extension Officer and Duluth City Gardener. She was a Minnesota State Horticultural Society board member and was 2009-12 president of the 8th District Minnesota State Horticultural Society. According to Dale, her favorite flower was the one that was growing. These activities and others spanned many years, with her continuing the programs and success of the organizations overlapping, leading to her nomination as Port Cities Woman of the Year 2010 for her volunteerism. Dale enjoyed people and would start conversations wherever she went. She made a point of finding something good in everyone and being generous in thought towards others. Children, especially toddlers, were a great source of joy. Dale was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Karen (Gerald) Mayry, Sandra (Robert) Slotness and brother Richard Folkedahl. Dale is survived by her husband, children Sarah (John) Baehurst, Christopher (Jennifer) Hurst and grandchildren Emily, Nathaniel, Evalynn, William and Cecelija; Brothers David (Debbie), Vern (Lori), Neil (Shelley) Folkedahl and sister Donna (Frank) Parzyck. The family is grateful for the excellent care provided by the Solvay Hospice House staff and volunteers. Special thanks to Reverend Ed Fackler for his help and support. Celebration of Life: 12:00 (noon) April 30th, 2016 at the Duluth Congregational Church, 3833 E Superior St, Duluth. Reverend Edward H. Fackler will officiate. A gathering of family and friends will start at 11:00 a.m. until the time of service and a lunch will be held afterward, all at the Church. Future inurnment planned at Maple Hill Cemetery at Hibbing. Arrangements provided by Cremation Society of Minnesota.