Hazel Arlene Eby

Hazel Arlene Eby
March 4, 1923 - October 19, 2019 

Hazel Arlene Eby passed away in the Mennonite Home, at 96 years old. A daughter of Christian Conrad Gerig and Ida Ellen Boshart Gerig, she grew up near Crabtree and graduated from Albany High School. She was a member of Fairview Mennonite Church all her life.

Hazel is survived by her siblings: Ruth Birky, Clarence Gerig, Laura Rhodes, Norman Gerig, and Dean Gerig. She is also survived by her sons, Paul and David Eby, and their children and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Harvey and her brother Irvin.

Hazel was thoughtful. She went to nearly every baby shower that she could attend at her church. She already had presents for the next weddings when she moved out of her apartment.

Her husband died in a logging accident the day before her son Paul’s first birthday when she was two months pregnant with David. She had to raise both boys on her own. She raised them honoring Harvey’s memory, and they knew they had an excellent father.

Hazel did everything with excellence. She won prizes for her bread at the State Fair. She insisted on going to high school and made the most of her time there. She loved her secretarial studies and even won an award for shorthand in high school.

When Hazel had to make her own living, she was respected at work. She did bookkeeping at her office, was trusted as the church treasurer and was even part of the church constitution committee. She combined traditional home roles with workplace roles and did it all well.

She loved her grandchildren. She made a twin quilt for every single grandchild, never missed a birthday and kept in touch as much as she could.
Hazel went to Michigan to attend her brother-in-law Lawrence Eby’s graduation from medical school, and she took her boys there numerous times to visit their father’s family.

Hazel loved to travel, and the trip that made the greatest impact on her was going to Voluntary Service in her fifties. Right after David graduated from college, she went to Elmira, New York. Some of the friends she made there were still in touch when she died!

Hazel’s heart for service was still there in the last years of her life. She made quilts for Project Linus, sent flowers to her nieces and nephews when her older brother died and tried to take care of guests who visited her even when she didn’t have the strength.

We will remember Hazel for the love she showed us and everyone around her, as well as for her faith in God. 

The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 2 at Fairview Mennonite Church with a graveside committal following at the Fairview Mennonite Cemetery.

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