American nurse and politician, she was the chairwoman of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, a federally recognized Potawatomi Indian tribe based in Calhoun County, Michigan, from 2003 until her death in 2010.
She worked in nursing for more than forty years throughout the United States, including New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago and Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She taught nursing, and worked as a nurse administrator, teacher and nurse. She received a master’s degree in nursing administration and education from DePaul University, later working as supervisor and administrator.
Spurr worked for more than a decade to place the Nottawaseppi Huron Band’s land in a federal trust and to build the FireKeepers Casino on the reservation in Battle Creek. Spurr also created health and education committees for the tribal government and launched a scholarship program. She also helped to develop residential homes, a health center and a community center on the Pine Creek Indian Reservation.
In late February 2010, Spurr travelled to California to present the design and construction plans of the FireKeepers Casino at a conference held at the Pechanga Resort and Casino on the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians reservation. Spurr collapsed from cardiopulmonary arrest on 18 February 2010 shortly after completing her presentation to the conference. She was taken to the Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrieta, California, where she died on the afternoon of 19 February 2010 at the age of 64.
Link to Wikipedia biography