Hazel L. Fritschen, 87, of Laurel, died Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021 at Hillcrest Care Center in Laurel.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 am on Tuesday, Sept. 14, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Laurel, with the Rev. Jerry Connealy officiating. Burial will be at the Laurel Cemetery in Laurel. Visitation will be at church from 9 a.m. until service time on Tuesday morning.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Laurel.
Hazel LaVonne was born Aug. 14, 1934 to George and Myrtle (Duxbury) Robinson. Her mother died when Hazel was six months old. Her father was a farmer/trucker and they moved into Spencer, South Dakota shortly before she started school. Hazel graduated from Spencer High School. She then enrolled at the Nettleton Business School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Following her graduation she worked for General Mills in Minneapolis, Minnesota 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, South Dakota 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, South Dakota.
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 genealogy and was especially organized with the information and data she collected. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were the centerpiece of her life.
Survivors include her daughter Annette Pritchard of Laurel; granddaughters, Susan Pritchard of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Lori (Spencer) Lowe of Lincoln, Amy (Matt) Dohma of Newcastle; grandson, John (Aleta) Thomas of Grand Island; great-grandchildren, Cade Dohma, Taylor Lowe, Lily Thomas, Piper Thomas; son-in-law John Thomas of Aurora; sisters-in-law Marian (Julius) Schultz of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Geraldine Oberembt of Mitchell, South Dakota and Ruby Fritschen of Great Falls, Montana.
She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Myrtle Robinson; husband Robert Fritschen on 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.
Pallbearers will be Susan Pritchard, Lori Lowe, Amy Dohma, John A. Thomas, Matt Dohma, Spencer Lowe and Mitch Lanser.
