HAZEL STANDIFORD obituary

Hazel Standiford of Chester died Jan. 13, 2004. She was 93.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester. Burial will follow at the Chester Cemetery.

Hazel Luverne (Rishoff) Standiford was born June 5, 1910, in Gary, Minn. She was one of seven children born to Anton E. Rishoff and Martha B. Holm. Hazel received her early schooling in Minnesota before moving to Montana with her family in 1927. She finished her education at Galata, where she graduated from high school in 1929.

For the next few years, Hazel worked as a housekeeper and cook on the Turner and Sisk ranches.

She met her husband-to-be, Gordon Melvin Standiford, at Lothair. They were married on June 26, 1933, in Chinook. They made their home on a small place north of Lothair, then later moved to the Standiford farm east of Lothair, where Hazel enjoyed her role as a farmwife, homemaker and mother of five children. The Standifords were married 29 years when Gordon died from a heart attack on July 10, 1962. Following his death, Hazel moved to their home in Chester.

In 1968 she began working as a dietary aide in the kitchen at Liberty County Hospital. She enjoyed her work there for the next 21 years, then retired in 1989 at the age of 79.

Hazel continued to live in her Chester home until 1998, when her health began to fail. She transferred to the Liberty County Nursing Home, where she resided until her death.

Hazel was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith during her youth in Gary. As an adult she was a longtime member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester and was active in the Lydia Circle.

After moving to Chester, Hazel kept busy at her home by operating a day-care center. She babysat many children over the years, and many of them still affectionately referred to her as "Gramma Hazel."

Her hobbies included flower gardening, embroidery and reading, especially romances. She was an excellent cook; some of her family favorites were Norwegian cookies & lefse. She also enjoyed taking area trips with her family.

Hazel was preceded in death by her husband and parents; daughters-in-law Betty Lou and Adrienne Standiford, grandchildren Peggy Sue and Mary Standiford, brother Marvin Rishoff; and sisters Eva Edmister, Dorothy Thennis, Margaret Janewski and Lillian Berglind.

She is survived by four sons, Allan Standiford of Prior Lake, Minn., Leland Standiford of Chinook, Gary (Joanne) Standiford of Chester, and Ray (Deanna) Standiford of Chester; one daughter, Nancy Harrison of Chester; one brother, Cyrus (Ovedia) Rishoff of Bigfork; two sisters-in-law, June McDowell of Marysville, Wash., and Barbara Backen of Lothair; 23 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; and many nephews and nieces.

Arrangements by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.