Jacqueline Lou Jurgens

Jacqueline Lou Jurgens Jacqueline Lou Jurgens (Jackie) was born October 22, 1950, in Missoula, Montana. She passed on August 14th at St. Patrick Hospital. She was the youngest of four children born to Jack L. Jurgens and Donna Boyer Jurgens. Jack and Donna preceded her in death. She is survived by her brother Adam Jurgens of Missoula, and sisters LaLonnie Strait (Gary), of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Connie (Bob) Williams of Provo, Utah. She is also survived by nephews and their families, David Jurgens of Apache Junction, Arizona, and Jon Jurgens of Queen Creek, Arizona; niece Natalie Williams Garr, and nephew Eddie Williams, and their families, of Provo, Utah. Her cousin, Ora Lee Elquist Russell (Jim), of Seaside Rhode Island, was also among her favorite people and a good friend. Jackie left behind her two beloved cats, Juno and Isis. She took exceptional care of them and loved them dearly. The kitties are being cared for by family in Utah. Jackie also leaves behind the many friends who loved her, most notably, her very best friend and former co-worker, Tom Fay of Valencia, California; her longtime friend, Kathy Wolverton Paterni, of Missoula; and Dolly Day of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Jackie and her family moved from Missoula to Arlee, in 1954. Her parents bought a farm just down the road from her maternal grandparents, Joe and Edna Boyer, on Mountain Home Lane. She and her sister, Connie, loved to ride their horses, Midnight and Smoky. It’s been rumored that before she got her horse, Jackie would ride one of the steers her family raised! When asked about it, Jackie remarked, “if it had four legs and would let me on it, I would ride it!” The family moved back to Missoula when Jackie was a sophomore in high school. She graduated from Hellgate High School and the University of Montana. She received a degree in microbiology and moved to California to obtain employment. She worked as many as three part-time jobs as a lab technician in hospitals and clinics in the Los Angeles area when she got her lucky break and was hired as a Quality Control Specialist by Anheuser Busch Brewing. She retired from Anheuser Busch in 2013 and returned to Montana to care for her parents. Her mother, Donna, passed away shortly after, but she was a loving care giver to her father, Jack, until his passing at age 94 in 2017. Jackie had a wickedly funny wit and a ready smile. She was a good and generous daughter, sister, and friend. She was a cancer survivor and worked to maintain her health. It was a shock to her family and friends that she passed due to a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Her light is gone from our lives, but we still have our cherished memories of this exceptional woman. We will miss you so much, dear Jackie! A celebration of Jackie’s life will take place at a later date.