Hazel M. Larsen

Hazel Marie Larsen, age 75, of Creighton, passed away Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, at Avera Creighton Care Center in Creighton.

Visitation will be Sunday, Aug.7, 2011, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Brockhaus Funeral Home in Creighton.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Aug. 8, 2011, at Faith, Hope and Love Church in Creighton. Pastor Casey Nelson will officiate.

Burial will be in the Star Cemetery in O'Neill.

Hazel Marie was born on Oct. 8, 1935, to Harry Ward Johnson and Effie Faye Brady. Hazel lived most of her life on a farmstead outside of O’Neill. She graduated at age 16 from O’Neill High School. She married Bruce Theodore McElhaney on Dec. 23, 1956. Two sons were born to this union. For 10 years they made their home in Lincoln and then moved to the family farmstead in rural O’Neill following her parent’s retirement. They were married for 30 years up to Bruce’s death in 1986. Following Bruce’s death, Hazel remained on the farm until 1995 when she married Lyle Larsen. They made their home in Creighton for the next 16 years until her passing.

Throughout her lifetime, Hazel had been very involved with several organizations and community service. Some of the groups she was involved in her later years were the American Legion Auxiliary and the Keep Creighton Clean Organization. For several years she guided a Bible Study at the Creighton Care Center. She was active in the Faith, Hope and Love Church in Creighton.

The most important thing to Hazel was her family. She was a person who enjoyed surrounding herself with family and friends. She was happiest while in service to others.

She is survived by her husband, Lyle Larsen of Creighton; her sons, Richard McElhaney and wife Patty of Waterloo, Iowa, and Daniel McElhaney of O’Neill; stepdaughter, Bobbi Majors and husband Paul of San Jose, CA; grandchildren, Wendi Goetsch and husband Nathan of Colorado Springs, CO, Chance McElhaney and wife Sarah of Fairfax, VA, and William and Mary Majors of San Jose, CA; and one great-grandchild, Joseph Alan Goetsch of Colorado Springs, CO.

She was preceded in death by her husband  Bruce and two children born to that union; and her parents.