Dick & Jill Jurvelin
The youngest of 12 children, Reino was born June 22, 1917, on the family farm outside Floodwood, MN, to Finnish immigrants Jacob and Sophia Jurvetin. Julia, the oldest of two children, was born December 12, 1917 on a farm near Rockford, WA, to Arthur and Martha Hagen of Norwegian heritage. Reino graduated from Floodwood High School, then joined the Army in 1939. His initial station was Ft. George Wright, Spokane, WA, where he met Julia (Judy), who had graduated from Lewis and Clark High in Spokane. They were married in Anchorage, AK, in 1941.
During WWII, Reino served with the 4th Infantry Division in Attu, Alasksa and received 2 Purple Hearts for action in the Philippines and Okinawa as part of the 96th Infantry Division “Deadeyes”. Upon discharge from the Army, Reino returned to his family in Spokane and worked as a civil service firefighter and training chief. In 1954 he moved his family — Judy and their son Richard – to Coeur d’Alene where he established their first home in Coeur d’Alene, on Adeline St. In 1967 they had a new home built in Fernan Village where he and Judy lived until their demise in 2003 and 2005 respectively.
After completing his civil service tour, including stays in Guam and the Philippines, Reino obtained his realestate license and became a REALTOR®/appraiser with Acuff Realty in Coeur d’Alene. In 1965, he was elected and served as President of the Coeur d’Alene Association of REALTORS®.
A hard-working community servant, Reino belonged to the local Toastmasters, Elks, Coeur d’Alene Kiwanis Club, and served on the Feman Village Council. He was also a life member of the Kootenai Medical Center volunteers and extremely active in the Masonic, Shrine and Scottish Rite bodies. He led the Shriner’s Octocycleers for many of forty-some years, and was a past-director, of the Royal Order of Jesters. He often stated that his main purpose in joining the Shriner’s organization was to be able to do something good for children.
Judy was a homemaker extraordinaire. She loved caring for her home and sharing it with others. She was a fine seamstress, avid reader and loved to cook. She was often referred to as the “cookie grandma” to young and old folks alike. Judy followed Reino’s love and involvement in the community. She was a member of the 3C’s (and their bowling team), volunteered as a greeter and transporter at Kootenai Memorial Hospital putting in over 500 hours, belonged to the Lady Elks and participated in the Eastern Star and Ladies of the Nile programs.
Reino’s love of hunting, fishing, and the outdoors were trademarks of his extra-curricular activities. However, Judy was the real “fisherman” and camper. Consequently, the love and experience of the outdoors was bonding factor for both during their 62 years of marriage. Equally important to them was spending time to travel to see other areas as well as family at home and abroad.
Waino and Lenora Jurvelin, another branch of the Jurvef in family, came to Coeur d’Alene from Portland in 1979, after retirement. Waino was Reino’s older brother, Lenora, Judy’s younger sister. Waino was active in Kiwanis here and the neighborhood handyman. He died in 1998. Lenora helped build the Rambling Rovers travel group for seniors, and served as the volunteer travel director for over 15 years. After a brief hiatus, she is again arranging Lenora’s Leisure Tours for seniors, on a non-profit basis.
Reino and Judy’s son, Richard, graduated from CHS in 1960L He went on to University of Idaho where he was an ATO and manager of the football team for 5 years. In 1964 he married CHS classmate Jill Hamilton, daughter of CJ and Janice Hamilton. In 1965 he completed his MS in Education at U of I and took his ROTC commission in the Army as an Armor Officer. They have two daughters, Jilann Lenore and Janelle Barbara. The younger Jurvelins’ traveled around the world in the Army until Richard retired from military service in 1991. Richard followed in his father’s footsteps and became a realt9r in Mankato, Minnesota where they lived then. In 1992, Richard and Jill moved back to Coeur d’AIene. Richard joined the Better Homes Coeur d’Alene Realty team, now Windermere. He has been active in Toastmasters and Kiwanis, sports officiating and served in various leadership capacities for the Coeur d’Alene Board of REALTORS® and Multiple Listing Service, Trinity Lutheran Church, Fresh Start and TESH Board of directors. As of May, 2005, they live in the “Jurvelin homestead” in Fernan Village.
Both daughters graduated from the U of I and married U of I graduates. Janelle Barbara married Jerry Wayne Shaffer in 1991. They have four children (three boys and a princess) and live in Pullman, WA Jerry works for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in Lewiston. Janelle works as receptionist, substitute teacher, and on the drama productions team at their church in Pullman, she is also a licensed cosmetologist. Jilann Lenore married David Scott Carlson in 1992. They moved to Coeur d’Alene with their three daughters in 2007. David recently opened Apex Plumbing & Heating in
Coeur d’Alene. Jilann became a REALTOR® in 2006, and joined her father at Windermere, Coeur d’Alene Realty.
