Hazel L. Fritschen

LAUREL — Hazel L. Fritschen, 87, Laurel, died Sept. 8, 2021, at Hillcrest Care Center, Laurel.

Mass of Christian Burial was Sept. 14 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Laurel, with the Rev. Jerry Connealy officiating.

Burial was at the Laurel Cemetery, Laurel.

Visitation was at the church from 9 a.m. until service time, Tuesday morning.

Pallbearers were Susan Pritchard, Lori Lowe, Amy Dohma, John A. Thomas, Matt Dohma, Spencer Lowe and Mitch Lanser.

Arrangements were under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home, Laurel.

Hazel LaVonne was born Aug. 14, 1934, to George and Myrtle (Duxbury) Robinson. Her mother died when Hazel was 6 months old. Her father was a farmer/trucker and they moved into Spencer, S.D., shortly before she started school. Hazel graduated from Spencer High School. She then enrolled at the Nettleton Business School, Sioux Falls, S.D. Following her graduation, she worked for General Mills in Minneapolis, Minn., for a time and then she enrolled at South Dakota State University where she majored in Home Economics. On May 3, 1958, she married Robert D. Fritschen in Spencer, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Robert was a student at SDSU at the same time. Following her graduation from SDSU, Hazel taught Home Economics in Hayti and White, S.D.

Hazel was a skilled seamstress and also did knitting and crocheting. Many of the items she made she would give away as gifts. She always had a creative and artistic touch of her own. Hazel and Robert had two daughters, Annette and Annita Kay. She was a 4-H leader and also judged Home Economics at many county fairs. Hazel spent many hours doing research on geneology and was especially organized with the information and data she collected. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the centerpiece of her life.

Hazel is survived by her daughter, Annette Pritchard, Laurel; granddaughters, Susan Pritchard, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Lori (Spencer) Lowe, Lincoln; and Amy (Matt) Dohma, Newcastle; grandson, John (Aleta) Thomas, Grand Island; great-grandchildren, Cade Dohma, Taylor Lowe, Lily Thomas and Piper Thomas; son-in-law, John Thomas, Aurora; sisters-in-law, Marian (Julius) Schultz, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Geraldine Oberembt, Mitchell, S.D.; and Ruby Fritschen, Great Falls, Mont.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Myrtle Robinson; husband, Robert Fritschen, April 22, 2021; daughter, Annita Kay Thomas; sons-in-law, David Pritchard and Randy Lanser; two sisters-in-law, Marjorie (Gene) Kolbach and Beverly Guenther; and brothers-in-law, Andy Fritschen, Jerry Oberembt, and Eugene Kolbach.