Beloved Cedar Valley Business Owner Passes Away

Hurts Donut in Cedar Falls quickly became a local favorite in the Cedar Valley. Between their fun, unique donut styles and flavors, friendly customer service, and easily accessed location on Main Street, folks all over the area came to their storefront to purchase their delicious sweet treats.

As the business shared on its Facebook page yesterday, the owner of the establishment -- Janelle Eileen Wilks, 45  -- passed away on Saturday, December 31, 2022.

A barrage of comments were shared on the post regarding who Janelle was:

"Great family- great person- great business and definitely a great big loss!!"

"Janelle had a heart of gold."

"Janelle was such a brilliant light in our world. Many prayers of peace & comfort to her family & friends."

Janelle's obituary on Legacy.com says the following about her and her life: "She was an entrepreneur who had a passion for running local businesses. Janelle was the owner and operator of Main Street Sweets, Nelly's Dogs, and the Cedar Falls Hurts Donut. She was a member of Fresh Wind Ministries and loved to volunteer in the Cedar Valley for many organizations. Janelle had an infectious smile and laugh that could light up the room. She loved nothing more than to be surrounded by her family and friends. She lived for being a loving, strong and driven role model for her daughters and Janelle absolutely adored her husband Scott."

As it added in the Hurts Donut's Facebook post, "a couple of community members have offered to pay for the first $500 worth of donuts ordered starting at (2:39 p.m. on Sunday)." That time is exactly 24 hours after she passed away. The gesture is to honor her and her life.