Marjorie Ann Hurt Jones, 85

Marjorie Ann Hurt Jones, 85, passed away Feb. 1, 2015, at Hospice House of North Idaho.

Marjorie was born March 26, 1929, in Elgin, Ill. She attended schools through eighth grade in Deerfield, Ill., and graduated from Highland Park High School in 1949. She then attended Illinois Wesleyan University graduating in 1953, with a B.S. in biology.

During school breaks, Marjorie traveled the two and a half hours between home and college on a small motorcycle her dad built for her. She went on to get her R.N. at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Ill., also in 1953.

In 1952, Marjorie married Stanley E. Jones, who was then a design student. She worked in nursing in various settings, including psychiatric nursing and geriatrics until 1979, when the family moved from Chicago to Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to central Ohio and back to Deerfield in the Chicago area. She was appointed the first Director of Nursing at Pickaway Manor, a skilled nursing facility in Ohio, in the late 1960s, and enjoyed building the program from the ground up.

When she and Stan moved back to Deerfield in 1972, Marjorie began to develop her love of writing. Being diagnosed with food allergies about that time launched her into research and development with hypoallergenic foods. Her medical and science background came together with her interest in writing, and she began publishing information on food allergies. She published a newsletter, Mastering Food Allergies, for 15 years gaining several subscribers from each of the 50 states and several foreign countries. Marjorie wrote several booklets on specific nutrition and food allergy topics, and wrote the book The Self-Help Allergy Cookbook first published in 1984. Not many people were talking about food allergies at that time, so it was a cutting-edge concept and has become a classic in its field, still in publication today. In 1997, Marjorie was awarded the 'Idaho Writer of the Year' by the Idaho Writer's League for writing that book. It was the first time that award had been given for a nonfiction book.

Marjorie's hobbies were reading, writing, designing recipes and baking. She enjoyed Sudoku and musical theater.

Marge and Stan retired to North Idaho in 1989 to be with their daughter and granddaughters. They enjoyed the Northwest and all it had to offer.

Marge was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Stanley E. Jones. She is survived by her two children, Beth J. Barclay of Coeur d'Alene and Steven Jeffrey Jones of Lafayette, Colo.; and two granddaughters, Brooke Barclay of Columbus, Ohio, and Blaire Barclay Oliver of Rio Rancho, N.M. She also leaves a sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Howard Hillary of Watseka, Ill., and nieces Carolyn Thornburg, Donna Crouch and Bonnie Thornburg.

A Celebration of Life memorial service and reception following will be held for Marge at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Unity Spiritual Center of North Idaho, 4465 N. 15th St., Coeur d'Alene.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 2290 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 83815, or the Marjorie Hurt Jones Nursing Scholarship, Illinois Wesleyan University, Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 2900, Bloomington, Ill., 61702-2900.

English Funeral Chapel of Coeur d'Alene has been entrusted to handle final arrangements. Please visit Marge's online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.