HAZEL KARBER MATHEWS
Hazel Mathews, daughter of Lon and Ethel (Wiles) Karber, was born December 3, 1915 in Greene County, Iowa.
Hazel graduated from Jefferson high school. On November 3, 1934, she married Wilford D. (Bud) Mathews in Maryville, Missouri. They farmed in Greene county, Guthrie county and Polk county before moving to a farm south of Mount Ayr in Ringgold county. They would eventually move into Mount Ayr and operated a meat locker. They moved to Leon, Iowa and Hazel worked in a clothing factory. At that time, Bud was operating the bowling alley in Mount Ayr and they returned to Mount Ayr in 1994. After Bud’s death on July 13, 2002, Hazel moved to West Des Moines, Iowa.
Hazel enjoyed golfing and dancing and loved to play cards. She was a past Worthy Matron of the Order of Eastern Star. While in Mount Ayr, she belonged to the First Christian Church and is now a member of Saint Mark Lutheran Church in West Des Moines.
Hazel passed away at the home that she shared with her daughter in West Des Moines on August 7, 2012. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; son Wilford Dale Mathews, Jr.; son-in-law Joseph Dennis McKinney; and her sister LaVerne Johnson.
Survivors include her daughters, Velma Andreasen and husband Gerald of West Des Moines, Iowa and Sandra Kilkenny and husband Tom of Creston, Iowa; 16 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, 12+ great-great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were held on Friday, August 10 at Saint Mark Lutheran Church in West Des Moines with Pastor Michael W. Foss officiating. Musicians were Mark Babcock and Caitlin O’Connor.
Casketbearers were Jamie Franke, Hunter Holle, Jordan Holle, Joshua Borcherding, Jeremy Borcherding, Jacob Franke, Michael Andreasen, John Bartlett and Joe McKinney III.
Honorary pallbearers were her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery in Mount Ayr.
A memorial fund has been established for Iowa Home Care and Saint Mark Lutheran Church. Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr was in charge of the arrangements.
