Man's dream unfulfilled
Ed Hurley Sr. died before seeing his rustic home of 54 years sold
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/16/06
BY JOSEPH SAPIA
STAFF WRITER
At 83, William E. "Ed" Hurley Sr. had a dream: sell the Jackson home he lived in for 54 years without hot-water plumbing, indoor bathrooms and other modern amenities, and move to New Hampshire "where it's quiet."
But his wife of 62 years, Margaret, had a fear of her husband dying.
"If he passes away — you shouldn't think like that, but . . . — what am I going to do up there?" Margaret said in a November 2004 interview.
Perhaps Ed had another plan.
Margaret found out later that Ed had talked to their son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Diane Hurley of Plumsted, about Margaret and their oldest of five children, William "Bill" E. Hurley Jr., 63, who is disabled, moving in with them.
"He knew he was going to die," Margaret, 82, said recently about Ed. "He wanted us to be taken care of."
Ed died of pancreatic cancer at 84 in May, only days after he, Margaret and Bill moved in with Frank, 58, and Diane, 57.
"I remember that day," Margaret said. "That's a day I won't forget. I was right by his bed when he died."
The Hurleys' Jackson property on Route 528 near Hawkin Road — a house and various outbuildings on 8 acres of open land and woods — was sold in two parcels of 4 acres in June. Two Lakewood corporations bought the 8 acres for a total of about $380,000.
Moti Gelbhauer, one of the current owners of the former Hurley property, described the Hurleys as "super nice people." Gelbhauer said he was upset to hear of Ed Hurley's death, adding that Ed did not live to see the property sold.
Gelbhauer, 45, of Lakewood said it is unclear what will become of the property, whose zoning is "neighborhood commercial."
"We'll check what we can do, maybe a shopping center," Gelbhauer said. "We bought it for an investment."
The circa-1865 two-story house has been a local and Pine Barrens landmark — a rustic structure of unpainted pine slats decorated with American flags. It was on the cover of the 1987 book "Pinelands Folklife."
"I loved it, after being there 54 years," Margaret said.
But the old house was four rooms over only about 575 square feet, with its only conveniences electricity, dial telephone service, two televisions with indoor antennas and cold running water. The bathroom was an outhouse, and heat was supplied by a propane and wood stove and another wood stove. Baths were sponge baths with water heated on the stove.
Margaret and Bill's current living arrangements in Plumsted include cable television service and an electric dishwasher, along with central heating and a modern bathroom.
"I love it. It's nice," Margaret said.
Still, she said she did not miss these items when she did not have them.
"Don't bother me one way or the other," Bill said.
Margaret said she and Diane recently drove slowly by the old homestead, now uninhabited. But Bill's "AMERICA" is still spelled across the front of the house in red and green garland, one of the patriotic gestures he was known for.
"I felt like crying, tears in my eyes. Couldn't talk," Margaret said. "You live in a place so long, it grows on you."
"Pop wanted to sell it so he could move to New Hampshire," said Bill, adding that his father also wanted to buy a new car, replacing the 1986 Toyota Tercel coupe.
"He didn't get either," Margaret said. "Life is so unfair."
"Life ain't always fair," Bill said. "You've got to take it the way it is and do the best you can."
The circa-1865 two-story house has been a local and Pine Barrens landmark — a rustic structure of unpainted pine slats decorated with American flags. It was on the cover of the 1987 book "Pinelands Folklife."
"I loved it, after being there 54 years," Margaret said.
But the old house was four rooms over only about 575 square feet, with its only conveniences electricity, dial telephone service, two televisions with indoor antennas and cold running water. The bathroom was an outhouse, and heat was supplied by a propane and wood stove and another wood stove. Baths were sponge baths with water heated on the stove.
Margaret and Bill's current living arrangements in Plumsted include cable television service and an electric dishwasher, along with central heating and a modern bathroom.
"I love it. It's nice," Margaret said.
Still, she said she did not miss these items when she did not have them.
"Don't bother me one way or the other," Bill said.
Margaret said she and Diane recently drove slowly by the old homestead, now uninhabited. But Bill's "AMERICA" is still spelled across the front of the house in red and green garland, one of the patriotic gestures he was known for.
"I felt like crying, tears in my eyes. Couldn't talk," Margaret said. "You live in a place so long, it grows on you."
"Pop wanted to sell it so he could move to New Hampshire," said Bill, adding that his father also wanted to buy a new car, replacing the 1986 Toyota Tercel coupe.
"He didn't get either," Margaret said. "Life is so unfair."
"Life ain't always fair," Bill said. "You've got to take it the way it is and do the best you can."
