RAPID CITY - Sarah Jane O'Rourk-Hewett, 100, Rapid City, died Wednesday, April 30, 2008, at the Westhills Village Health Care Facility. Sarah Jane O'Rourk-Hewett was born to Patrick Henry O'Rourk and Sarah Ellen Ashcraft Yockey-O'Rourk at Gordon, Sheridan County, Neb., June 1, 1907, and was baptized in St. Leo's Catholic Church. While her father was Catholic, her mother was Methodist, thus she attended that church more frequently, going to Sunday School and Epworth League, singing in the choir and joining her friends. The O'Rourks are listed as Century Settlers of Nebraska, coming there in the late 1800s. He came as an attorney for the railroads, she came as a homesteader with her first family. Sarah Jane attended Gordon Public schools and Chadron State Normal School, then taught in rural Sheridan County and Clinton, Neb. In 1933, she changed careers and went to St. Agnes Hospital School of Nursing, Fond du Lac, Wis., to become a nurse. It was here, among her many cousins that she became a practicing Catholic. She received at Baccalaureate degree in Nursing education from Catholic University, Washington, D.C. in 1939, and returned to teach in the Fond du Lac Nursing school. Later, she was employed in Hospital Administration in New Britain, Conn. There were few nurses in those days graduating with degrees in nursing, and positions were easy to find wherever one wished to live, or to obtain, a higher salary. She was married to Burgess Claire Hewett on Feb. 14, 1942, in St Joseph Church at Fond du Lac. Two children were born to the couple, Gary William on July 12, 1943, and Mary Ellen who died at birth, May 1949. Claire died Feb. 18, 1991, and is buried at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. During their marriage, she continued her career in teaching and in nursing, and obtained a Master's degree in Nursing Administration at the University of Colorado, Boulder, had postgraduate study at the Universities of Iowa, and California, San Francisco Campus. A lifelong learner, she also obtained credits at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. While the couple and Gary lived in Newcastle, Wyo., where Claire was employed in the oil industry, she taught elementary school for a five-year period. She had to update her teaching certificate and attended Black Hills College, where she and Gary were both "in summer school." Claire had a great sense of humor and told their friends, "Gary is taking swimming, Mom is taking square dancing, and in the evenings they are extras in the Passion Play." Over the years, her work experience included clinical and private duty nursing, directorship of hospital schools in Mitchell, and Denver; hospital administration and consultation in Wyoming and Texas, faculty appointments at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee campus, the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she held tenure, and South Dakota State University. Her last position was Director of Rapid City Regional School of Nursing from 1975 to retirement in 1981. She served on the South Dakota Board of Nursing under governors Wohlman and Janklow. Throughout her careers, she received recognitions and honors: the first National Secretary for the Council of Catholic Nurses in the 1940s; received the Rockville Center Award for Catholic Nurse Leadership in Chicago in 1966; was given awards from the National League for Nursing; and attended the International Council of Nurses in Mexico City in 1973. Her latest professional recognitions came from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Rapid City Regional Hospital School of Nursing in the 1980s. She kept her nursing license valid from the time she received it in 1936 until after her husband's death in 1991. Professional memberships included: American Nurses Association, National League for Nursing American Association of University Women, American Association of University Professors National Association of Parliamentarians, Sigma Thetea Tau, Delta Kappa Gamma, Phi Delta Kappa, Alpha Phi Pi, Century Circle of Catholic University. Other memberships were: St. Rose Altar Society of the Cathedral Parish, Daughters of the American Revolution, BPOE Does, Fortnightly Womens Club, American Association of Retired Persons and the South Dakota Genealogical Society. With her great interest in genealogy, she compiled three notebooks that have been accepted into the Mormon Library in Salt Lake City and into the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. An O'Rourk book is in the County Carlow, Ireland repository. Since her retirement, she has been active with Hospice of the Hills, Widowed Persons Service, a volunteer for tutoring reading at Wilson School and at the Journey Museum. Jane is survived by her son Gary Hewett and his wife Barbara, Rapid City; grandson, Jim McKinnon and his wife Patsy, Clio, Ala.; great-grandson, Mitchell Trevor McKinnon, Clio, Ala.; nieces, Josephine Sewright, Leonore Zink, Arlene Bacon; and nephew, Jim Hewett. As was noted in her generosity, Jane had a rich family tree filled to abundance with great nieces/nephews, cousins and extended family. A Christian Wake Service was held at 7 p.m., Friday, May 1, at Our Lady Chapel at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, with the Rev. Marcin Garbacz presiding. Inurnment will be at the Black Hills National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family has established memorials to the Newman Center % OLPH Church, 520 Cathedral. Drive, Rapid City, SD 57701. Services are under the direction of the Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.