Lula Jo Hundahl, age 89 years, peacefully passed away on Saturday May 12, 2018, at her residence, Carter Place Living Center in Blair, Nebraska. “Jo” was born September 19, 1928, in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, to Thomas and Myrtle Hicks, fifth of eight children. Jo grew up on a small working farm with crops and many varied livestock. She had a pet chicken, which refused to become dinner.
During the early 1940s, her family moved to Oak Cliff, a suburb of Dallas. Several of her brothers were in the military and the rest supported the war effort from home. Jo graduated Sunset High School in 1946, wearing a dress lovingly made by her older sister, Evelyn.
After graduation, Jo joined Mutual of Omaha as a file clerk and quickly promoted to a secretarial position. As part of the antics within the secretary pool, Jo was co-editor of the Mutual Benefit News. Contained in the pages of these newsletters were quick-witted stories about each other, co-workers and bosses. She had quite the gift of words. While working at Mutual of Omaha, she met Jack Hundahl on a blind date. Later, Jack proposed and they wed December 6, 1952, in Dallas, Texas at University Park United Methodist Church.
Later, they traveled Europe, visiting Spain, France, Italy, Greece and England. Early in their marriage, they had the opportunity to travel to many exotic cities, including Honolulu for business conventions.
Jo was an active member of the Dallas Symphony, the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Civic Ballet Company and the Dallas Museum of Fine Art. She had a big heart for animals, especially the loving kindness of dogs.
Jo was a hard-core Dallas Cowboys football fan, since their inception. She was an active participant in each game, cheering or giving advice to the coaches. Jo was an active tennis player and attended several prestigious tennis camps. She played with friends in a league at Dallas Country Club.
She volunteered at the St. Michael’s Church Women’s Exchange for many years. Jo was a skilled cook. She took classes with local, prominent chefs. Nothing could beat her home cooking, except, possibly, El Fenix in Dallas, Texas, her favorite restaurant. She also loved gardening and samples of local and regional flora and fauna filled her gardens. She would spend hours tending her gardens or taking long walks on the lands of the Hundahl farm or the forests of east Texas.
Jo was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Jefferson Hicks and Myrtle McKelvey Hicks, her siblings, Edward, Evelyn, Jack, Ellis and Charles, and her former husband of 28 years John “Jack” Hundahl.
Her brothers, Doyce Hicks of Morgan’s Point, Texas, and James Hicks of Cedar Hill, Texas, survive her. Her daughter, Lauren Hundahl Killam, husband Walter Killam and son Ben live in Omaha, Nebraska. Her son, John Hundahl, wife Scottie Sanderford Hundahl and three sons, Tate, Eric and Ian, live north of Tekamah on the farm and surrounding areas. Several nephews, nieces and cousins are scattered from Washington State to Maine.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018, there will be a private family gathering in Dallas at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home & Hillcrest Mausoleum & Memorial Park, with a visitation/reception afterwards between 3:30-5:30 pm. In lieu of flowers or plants, Jo and family would prefer donations be made to the Tekamah Nebraska Volunteer Fire Department.
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