Gene Hurt ’ s insurance business has provided for three generations of Hurts over the past 60 years
When Gene Hurt started his career in the insurance business , on New Years ’ Day of 1960 , he had no idea if could make enough money to provide for him and his wife Mary . Nearly 61 years later , his insurance business has provided for three generations of Hurts .
After his son Don Hurt took over the his dad ’ s Farm Bureau Insurance agency in 1993 , his grandson Donovan Hurt joined the family agency just last month .
“ It started out as a way to provide for me and my wife , and now it has provided for my son and his family , and hopefully it will do the same for my grandson and his future family ,” Gene Hurt said with a smile .
And while knowledge of the business and the products you sell is the key to any successful insurance business , the ‘ gift of gab ’ might be the key to success for the three-generation Hurt insurance business .
At 93-year old , Gene Hurt still remembers - in detail - his first day on the job and his unique ‘ gift of gab ’ allowed him to reach out to the folks of Pulaski County back in a more simpler time .
“ Back then , I knew that most farmers were underinsured , and that first day on the job I visited about 10 homes around the county in an effort to rewrite their current insurance policies ,” Gene Hurt stated . “ I still remember my last visit of the day was with the Rev . Gerd Sewell family . Don ’ t really remember if I rewrote his insurance policy , but I remember sitting in his home for hours eating popcorn , drinking ice tea and watching the New Year ’ s Day parade on his black-and-white TV .”
Sewell , and his entire family , became lifelong friends with Gene Hurt after that lengthy ‘ first day on the job ’ visit . And that ‘ first day on the job ’ work ethic has epitomized Gene Hurt ’ s career and over 60 years later it is still rubbing off on his son and grandson .
“ I learned a lot of things from my dad that
2021 SENIOR LIVING • 7