"Tura Hiel Graber was a special member of our neighborhood as I?ve purchased a building site from her parents in 1970 and I was fortunate to have had her children and grandchildren as students I taught in my teaching years in McFarland. Tura had a big heart for helping with babies and needy young children, giving loving care to each and everyone. Her giving spirit will be missed. God bless."
In loving memory of
Tura Hoel Graber
February 9, 1933 - December 26, 2021
MCFARLAND/STOUGHTON -- Tura Hoel Graber passed away on December 26, 2021 at Milestone Senior Living in Stoughton, her residence for the past four years. She was born February 9, 1933 to Hartman and Marjorie (Hecker) Olson and grew up on the Olson family farm in McFarland (Town of Dunn).
Tura graduated from Madison East High School in 1951 and married Richard Hoel in 1952. They settled on a portion of her parents' land, where she was a homemaker as their family grew to five children. She enjoyed teaching her kids how to fish the Yahara River, a curiosity for eclectic knowledge, and about the native people who lived on her family's farmland long before settlers came.
Tura was a licensed foster parent to dozens of babies and toddlers, she earned her "pin money" by decorating wedding and special occasion cakes for many years, was an avid knitter and prolific scrapbooker. She was a nurse at heart--from her childhood years of tending farm animals, through the rest of her years rescuing orphaned wildlife and caring for her backyard-farm menagerie. Fittingly, she returned to school in the early 1970s to earn her R.N. Associate Degree from Madison Area Technical College. She worked at Skaalen Nursing Home for several years. It was during that time Tura married Everett "Andy" Anderson, especially enjoying their leisure time camping and road tripping.
Later, Tura provided respite care for infants and children with medical needs throughout the metro Madison and Dodgeville areas. She married Richard Graber in 1983 and lived in Mineral Point until a few years after his death from a farming accident in 1985. Tura's personal struggles persisted throughout her life. We are grateful that she is finally at peace.
Tura is survived by her five children, John Hoel, Jim (Kate) Hoel, Judy (Dale Gasser) Fossen, Jody (Nancy) Hoel, Jay (Kay) Hoel; grandchildren, Brandon (Shaunna) Hoel, Jens (Jessica) Fossen, Sever (Leslie Rivers) Fossen, Bergen (Ryan Luchsinger) Fossen, Hartman (Alexandra Kuehlmann) Hoel, Victor Hoel, Gus Hoel; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Charlene Fabian.
There will be no memorial service, in accordance with Tura's wishes. To honor her love for animals, memorials may be made in Tura Hoel Graber's name to the Dane County Humane Society, 5132 Voges Road, Madison, WI 53718 or at giveshelter.org. Please share your memories of Tura by posting Tributes.
Tributes
"Tura so many wonderful caring memories from pugs to babies. Remembering her making sweet soup, delicious baking. She watching hour of power and enjoying the hymns. Love you Tura. God is so faithful for me to feel prompted to look you up on Google of all nites and find that you crossed over to paradise that we had many conversations about heaven. Say hi to mom and Cashew for me. I will see you later??. Praying for the family to feel the comforting arms of the Good Shepherd"
"I too adopted my first pug Abby from her in the spring of 1998. I have gone on to adopt 2 more. I feel so grateful to have known Tura, and how she got my love of pugs going. My sweet Abby lived to be almost 14. My thoughts and prayers are with your whole family. I feel blessed to have known Tura, and to witness the wonderful care she gave to her pugs, wildlife, and foster babies. Peace to you. "
"Tura indeed had a love for animals. We got all 3 of our pugs from her. She was a wonderful person. "