Hurston wound up her days working as a maid or cleaning woman in extremely straightened conditions, it is my understanding that she was buried in a pauper's cemetery. Alice Walker worked to set things to rights for Hurston posthumously, promoting her work and have her buried in a place more suited to her stature.

Intersections: Crafting a Voice for Black Culture
Alice Walker on Zora Neale Hurston's 'Spiritual Food'