Thelma "Tess" Evon Kurtz

Thelma Evon Kurtz, 94, known to her many family and friends as “Tess”, soared to her new paradise in Heaven on Saturday afternoon, December 21, 2024. She is now in the arms of her Savior and reunited with her loving husband, Jim Kurtz, and all her relatives waiting there for her. She was born on Wednesday, July 23, 1930, in Springfield, Missouri to Grover and Ida (Hembree) Allman. She moved to Dallas County as a young girl to live at her beloved homestead, “Rocky Acres.” She was baptized in Greasy Creek at the age of eleven and began her life of loving her Lord. She attended Free Will Baptist Church. Her life on the homestead was filled with the difficulties but also the love of farm life. She spoke often of the fun times with her parents and siblings, Glenn, and Elsie. She loved Buffalo and made lifelong friends there. Some of her closest friends decided to quit school after the eighth grade and she was leaning in that direction as well. Her dad heard about this and shared with her that he and her mother hoped that she would be their one child to finish high school. She looked up to her dad as her hero and she did graduate from Buffalo High School in 1948. Her life has always been centered around her love for the Lord, her love of her children and family, her blessing of her 15-acre paradise, “Tall Timber”, and the many animals that sought refuge on her doorstep, particularly her turtles. She and her husband, Jim, raised six happy, healthy children, Glen, Ed, Mike, Jay, Ida, and Jennifer. She is blessed with 17 grandkids, 19 (almost 20) great grandkids, and 3 great, great grandkids. Now, that is family history! She was involved in everything! Teaching her children to love life and work hard, school activities, Scouting, family and community history, gardening, and reading every issue of the local newspaper to glean any tidbits of history to be recorded. She is the last of her generation in this family, preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her siblings, her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, three grandkids, and one great grandkid. She is survived by all six of her children, 14 grandkids, 18 (almost 19) great grandkids, and 3 great great grandkids. Tess will be missed by many. Know that she is happy and healthy in her new permanent paradise in Heaven. She has found her new and amazing wildflower garden, no weeding required. Toodle-eee-ooo Momma. We love you! Services are scheduled for 2:30 pm on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at Cantlon-Otterness & Viets Funeral Home with visitation prior, from 1:30 pm until service time. Thelma will be laid to rest at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery near Elkland, Missouri. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Cantlon-Otterness & Viets Funeral Home, Buffalo, Missouri.

Thelma "Tess" Evon Kurtz

July 23, 1930 - December 21, 2024