Hazel I. Krueger, 90, of Augusta died Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014 at the Augusta Area Nursing Home.
Hazel Irene Geisler, daughter of William and Wilhelmine (Kuehn) Geisler was born August 14, 1924 in rural Augusta. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church-Bears Grass, rural Augusta.
Hazel married Lowell Hutchinson. They lived in the Allen area and had two children, William & Julie Hutchinson. She later married Chester Krueger. They lived on a farm near Foster and had three children, Dixie, Kim, and Jan. Hazel was a stay at home mom until she and her family moved to Augusta. She began working at the Augusta Area Home in 1968. Hazel had worked at the nursing home 25 years when she retired. She returned to the nursing home as a resident in 2008.
Hazel was a parent who always put her children's needs first. Jan, her youngest son, became a quadriplegic as a result of a swimming accident one week after his high school graduation. She spent many years as a devoted caregiver to Jan until his death in 2005. She considered it a privilege to do all she could to make his life a bit easier and wherever Jan went, Hazel accompanied him.
Hazel loved her family, her soap operas, dancing, Christmas, and following the Augusta Athletics, the baseball team Jan organized and managed, and the Eau Claire Blugolds girls basketball team. In fact, Hazel was voted “Fan of the Year”. That annual honor was named after Hazel thereafter. She loved hosting big dinners for all the major holidays, and anyone who had no particular place to go was always welcome at Hazel's table.
Hazel is survived by sons William Hutchinson and Kim (Lisa) Krueger, Augusta. daughters, Julie (Gary) Kersten and Dixie Frase, Eau Claire, grandchildren, Jake (Jessica) Krueger & their daughters Brianna and Brooklyn, Ashley (Scott) Terpstra & their son Benjamin, Jennifer Kersten (Ryan Nelson), Nick (Ashley Hanke), Alison, & Drew Frase, step grandsons Mark (Julia) Kosmo, and Kyle (Nicole) Frase & children Keaten & Cassidy.
She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Doris Klatt, son Jan Krueger, and son-in-law Greg Frase.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Augusta, with Pastor Gary Sahs officiating. Burial will be in the West Lawn Cemetery in Augusta. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Anderson Funeral Home in Augusta, and one hour prior to services Saturday at the church. The family wishes to thank the staff at Augusta Area Home for their wonderful care of Hazel the past six years.