Sue Ann (nee Farmer) Jurack, age 80, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2026. Loved fiercely and dearly missed, this Angel was known for her gracious hospitality and culinary skills, as a steadfast servant of the Lord, by her unending devotion to her family, and by her boundless adoration of all children.
Though born in San Rafael, CA, on June 14, 1945, home for Sue was Des Moines, Iowa, where she was raised by Frederick B. and Rita Farmer. She was a graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. Staying in state, Sue obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics Journalism with minors in food and nutrition and speech and television at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. She also attended a summer session at University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA).
As an undergraduate Sue joined the Pi Beta Phi fraternity for women, which planted the seed for countless friendships that bloomed all throughout her life. She stayed active with cherished local Pi Phi alumnae clubs in Madison, WI; Peoria, IL; and Milwaukee, WI. Her pledge sisters were her enduring friends.
A lifelong learner and a woman of many talents and organizational skills, Sue worked as a social worker; a food demonstrator for groups, school and national radio and TV; a cooking class founder/director; a cookbook researcher/contributor; a cost-of-living research consultant; a tourism director; a magazine food editor; a supervising recipe editor; a recipe web systems specialist; and a preschool administrator and teacher. Her path wound through Illinois; Wisconsin; Geneva, Switzerland; London, England; Green Bay, WI and Iowa. Her motto was “to bloom where she was planted” in each of their 18 moves. In her mid-30s, Sue took a French immersion course and became moderately fluent.
Sue loved to stay busy by using her many talents to give back to her community. When their boys (PJ and Jason) were at home, she took a very active role in Boy Scouts, baseball and school organizations. But always at the center of her life were God and her church. She tirelessly worked on countless church councils, committees, guilds, ministry groups, attended many Bible studies, and babysat so others could attend Bible studies. Sue also assisted with Sunday school classes and preschool curriculums. Food was always an important part of her life, so she baked communion bread, organized luncheons, prepared soup/sandwich Lenten meals, supervised food/bake sales, helped at cookie exchanges, prepared food for the sick, demonstrated food to numerous church groups, and generally lent a helping hand where there was a need.
Although Sue had a colossal collection of cookbooks, there never seemed to be a recipe upon which she could not improve. Much to the dismay of her family, she rarely made a recipe more than once, even when they said the recipe was a “keeper”. To her family and friends, she was known as an avid hostess and “the cookie lady”. But she loved to try new recipes and bake anything. She especially enjoyed the cuisines of France, Germany, Italy and China.
When Sue was growing up in Iowa, women were not allowed to compete in sports (except Iowa Girls Basketball). However, Sue was very competitive and became one of Des Moines’ first women pool lifeguards. She was a self-proclaimed “beach bunny”, who loved relaxing on any ocean or a lake beach. She also enjoyed tennis, downhill skiing, Alpine hiking, kayaking, and exploring nature wherever she
lived. Besides reading countless cookbooks, Sue especially enjoyed historical fiction books. And, above all, she was adamant about passing her love of reading onto her children, grandchildren, and children in the classroom. Ancestry was a research passion that filled much of her time, especially during retirement.
Sue married her sweetheart, travel companion, best friend, and love of her life, James Arthur Jurack, on June 22, 1968, in Des Moines, Iowa, and their many adventures began. Together, Jim and Sue traveled extensively, enjoying the wine and cuisines, history and cultures of 38 countries. Jim and Sue celebrated 57 years, 11 months and 11 days of marriage, and they raised two wonderful, devoted sons, Peter James Jurack and Jason Frederick Jurack.
Sue is survived by her husband, Jim; son P.J. and his wife, Kaaren, of Manassas, Virginia; son Jason and his wife, Kalli, of Mequon, Wisconsin; three grandsons and three granddaughters, Joshua, Josephine, Jonah, Joel, Caroline and Catherine; sister Sally Hook, and her husband Robert, of Conroe, Texas; sister Tonya Farmer, of Iowa City, Iowa; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Rita and Fred Farmer.
A memorial service of celebration will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 6:00 pm, at Fox Point Lutheran Church, 7510 N Santa Monica Blvd. in Fox Point, Wisconsin. Visitation with family and friends will begin at 4:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, Sue wanted donations to be made to Joshua’s Hope, Inc. to donate to Joshua’s Hope, Inc., there are two options from which to choose if you would like to donate:
- To donate to Joshua's Hope, Inc: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=T3WWVVVRHKMTA
- Send a check or money order to Joshua’s Hope Inc., 205 Morgan Lane, Spotsylvania, VA 22551.