Curt van Wurst

Curt Van Wurst was born in Humboldt County on February 21, 1951 to George and Patricia Wurst. The Wurst family moved to Truckee, California when Curt was 7. It was here, at Donner Lake, that Curt was raised with his siblings: Jill, Debbie, and Pal. “Boz” to his family, played Little League, raced for his ski team, and excelled as a football player for the Truckee High Wolverines.

The mountain lifestyle really impacted Curt. Working at his family’s stable, Cold Stream Corral, influenced Curt’s passion for riding and roping, and he sure enjoyed novelties like calf-shorts competitions, Ride and Tie, and even wild-horse races in his younger days! His life-long love of the outdoors showed in his rugged hunting trips to Idaho with his dad and brother. Most recently, Curt enjoyed fishing trips to Alaska with his son-in-law, Craig, brother-in-law, Ron, and other close buddies.

Curt’s college days began at Sierra in 1969. He met the love of his life, Jane, at the Howdy Dance. She was a cheerleader for Curt on and off the field. On a football scholarship, Curt continued his education at Fresno State. He earned his degree in Animal Science and Genetics. The two married over Thanksgiving vacation in 1972. Even after 51 years of marriage, Curt still affectionately referred to Jane as “my bride”. College days brought treasured friendships that lasted a lifetime.

Curt and Jane moved to The Ranch in North Auburn in 1974 and bought their first herd of cattle. Although Curt taught at Placer and Sierra and he also worked construction, cattle ranching was his passion. This cowboy truly loved ranch life; irrigating, working cows, and fixing fences brought him great satisfaction and a deep connection to his “green pastures”. Curt found so much happiness in having Clinton Alexander work alongside him.

Most of all, Curt loved sharing The Ranch with family and friends. Hayrides, weddings, reunions, and BBQs …The Ranch is a special place where people gather to celebrate and play. It’s always been a place where memories are made and stories are shared. Curt was always the story-teller!

The greatest joys of Curt’s life were his daughters, Stephanie and Heidi. He loved “his girls” and expressed how proud he was of them through each stage of their lives. The next great adventure was grandchildren: Sydney, Colton, Peyton, and Connor. Curt loved watching them play sports. He was a “fun Grandpa” catching crawdads, sleeping in a tent, and zipping around on the quads with them. Curt enjoyed cooking breakfast for all of the family each time they would visit.

Curt will be greatly missed, but his generosity and fun-loving spirit will never be forgotten. He was a devoted son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, neighbor, and friend. “Happy Trails to you [Curt]… Until we meet again”

There will be a casual, outdoor Celebration of Life for Curt on Sunday, September 8th at 3pm at The Ranch. Please carpool if possible.