Alene Hurt

Alene Hurt, age 90, passed from this life on January 29, 2026, at Grove Nursing Center in Grove, Oklahoma. Clara Alene Taylor was born on January 17, 1936, in Cherokee City, Arkansas, to Joseph Crawford Taylor and Alice Elizabeth Boyle Taylor. She enjoyed a simple childhood on her family’s farm in the “holler” outside of Cherokee City and attended both Cherokee City and Gentry schools. Alene married Alva Hurt in 1953 in Bentonville, Arkansas. They met while square dancing and continued to enjoy dancing together as a hobby for decades. Their early years of marriage were spent traveling the country for Alva’s work, eventually settling in California for several years alongside extended family members. During that time, Alene worked as a homemaker, often learning from her sister-in-law, Rita. They welcomed their first son, Larry, in 1954, and their second son, Leon, in 1958. They ultimately returned home to the Colcord area, where Alene and Alva settled into their careers and raised their children. Alene worked for Allen’s Canning Company for nearly thirty years before retiring in 1999. She and Alva were longtime members of Colcord First Baptist Church and later Jay First Baptist Church. Alene cherished watching her granddaughters, Brandi and Destin, grow up, as they were truly the highlight of her and Alva’s lives. In the early 2000s, Alva and Alene moved to Jay, where they enjoyed many additional years surrounded by family and new friends. Throughout her life, Alene enjoyed traveling the country with her family, especially trips to Branson, as well as camping, flower gardening, crafting, and scrapbooking. Most notably, she was an avid thrift shopper and collected many (and we do mean many) treasures over the years. She frequented Goodwill so often that her family simply referred to it as “Nanny’s Store.” Cooking and baking were another large part of her life, making countless pies and cobblers for loved ones throughout the years. In her later years, Alene found joy in visiting with dear friends Leta Kay Garrison and Johnny Hendren, her weekly phone calls with her sister-in-law June “Junie” Amos, taking drives to the Cherokee City area, and spending time with her “little boys,” her great-grandsons. In addition to her parents, Alene was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-seven years, Alva Hurt; her brothers, Wes Taylor and Ben Taylor; and her sisters, Daisy Blagg and Violet Evans. Alene is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Lana Hurt of Colcord, Oklahoma, and Leon and Trenda Hurt of Jay, Oklahoma; her granddaughters, Brandi Six and husband Justin of Colcord, Oklahoma, and Destin McCulloch and husband Ryan, of Bixby, Oklahoma; and her great-grandsons, Crew, Lawson, and Parker McCulloch. She is also survived by her two sisters-in-law, June Amos and WillaDean Mills, many nieces and nephews, and numerous friends. Alene’s presence will be greatly missed. We mourn the loss of a wonderful mother, a loving Nanny, and a generous and kind friend to all. We celebrate a long, full life and will hold tightly to our beautiful memories until we meet again. A funeral service celebrating Alene’s life will be held on February 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Jay, Oklahoma. A private family graveside will follow at Dickson Cemetery in Gentry, Arkansas.

Tributes

Alene Hurt

January 17, 1936 - January 29, 2026