Lou Ann Wurm

Lou Ann (Tuma) Wurm, 90, passed away on August 1st, 2025 surrounded by family at Cedarwood Assisted Living Facility in Fairbury, NE. She was born November 7, 1934 to Louis and Lillie (Goebel) Tuma and grew up on a farm south of Fairbury along Rose Creek. After graduating from Fairbury High School, she earned her teaching certificate and taught in local country schools. On May 31, 1953, she married George Wurm Jr. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jansen. They lived on a farm, where she was a devoted housewife and raised their two children, Dennis and Carolyn.

Lou Ann always planted a big garden, enjoyed canning produce and generously sharing her harvest with friends and family. Over the years, she worked a variety of jobs including in the physical therapy department at Jefferson County Memorial hospital, the Sears catalog store, and the jewelry department at Wal-Mart.

She was an active member of both Trinity Lutheran Church and Grace Lutheran Church, where she played the organ, taught Sunday School, and participated in Ladies Aid. Deeply committed to her community, Lou Ann also volunteered countless hours by making Braille books, teaching piano lessons, delivering Senior Diner meals, assisting children with 4-H projects, and sewing dresses from pillowcases for children in need around the world. As a breast cancer survivor, she proudly participated in Relay for Life.

During snowy winters on the farm, she was known for baking cinnamon rolls for the snow plow driver who “just happened” to turn around in her driveway along with offering cookies to anyone working nearby. In her later years at Cedarwood, she continued her tradition of giving, baking bread weekly to share with staff, fellow residents, and family. She assisted with preparations in the kitchen for special events and teaching others to bake.

Lou Ann was especially proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren attending many of their events and cherishing time spent with them.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband George, brother and sister-in-law Richard and Ruth, sister Patsy, brothers-in-law and spouses Melvin and Joyce, Lawrence and Marion, and Marvin.

She is survived by son Dennis and wife Dianne of Fairbury, daughter Carolyn Thompson and husband Steve of Richmond Hill, GA, granddaughter Alicia Arnold and husband Curtis, great-grandchildren Kinsley and Ansley, grandson Spencer and wife Sami, great-grandchild Brinley, sister-in-law Norma Jean, all of Fairbury, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.