Hazel A. Hight, age 97, of Chillicothe, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 24, 2025 at The Arc Rehab Center in Chillicothe having gone home to her heavenly Lord and Savior. Hazel was born on Jan. 18, 1928 in Nevada, Iowa to Walter and Ida Kelly Swore.
Surviving are her sister, Edna Metcalf of Macon, Mo. and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Richard Conn; her second husband, Maurice Hight; her siblings, Melissa, Earl, George, Florence, Lawrence, Mary, Henrietta, Jean, Wilma, and an infant brother and sister.
Never having had children of her own, family was incredibly important to Hazel. She maintained close relationships with her many cousins, nieces and nephews and organized the yearly cousin reunions. She was blessed with a wonderful sense of humor that always made them laugh with her stories.
Hazel was a very focused and determined woman. She knew what she wanted and how to achieve it. During a time when few women worked, she was a court reporter, insurance agent and realtor, secretary for her church in Warsaw, Mo., secretary for the superintendent during the time that the Truman Dam was built in Warsaw and a farmer’s wife who was never afraid to take on the jobs around the farm. She traveled the world, from the Far East to the Holy Land to the Pacific Islands. Loving to travel, she took many family and friends with her on her journeys.
Besides traveling, Hazel enjoyed quilting, reading, writing poetry, playing cards, working puzzles, painting on her cell phone and just visiting on her phone with family and friends. She was a very active member of the First United Methodist Church in Warsaw for 43 years, volunteering with the quilting circle, cooking for the Lion’s Club, bible studies, hosting guests from other countries and going on mission trips. She was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Red Hat Society. Hazel spent a few years at an assisted living center in Madrid, Iowa enjoying the chapel services and loved the two pastors that officiated them. She made numerous friends there quilting, playing cards and hosting parties. Hazel will truly and dearly be missed by her family and friends, but her spirit will live on in their hearts.
Services will be held on Friday, March 28, 2025, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Chillicothe First United Methodist Church with a service at 7:30 pm. Services will also be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 11 a.m. Prugh Funeral Service 3940 Division Street, Burlington. Hazel will be laid to rest at Burlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Chillicothe First United Methodist Church or the Warsaw First United Methodist Church. Arrangements are under the care of Weber-Hurd Funeral Home in Chillicothe, Ill. and Prugh Funeral Service in Burlington.