Hazel M. Bardsley

Bardsley, Hazel M., age 98. Survived by son, John C. Bardsley, El Paso, TX; daughter Sharon L. Petersen, Lakewood, CO; three granddaughters; one grandson; one great-granddaughter; one granddaughter who pre-deceased her and a host of friends. Memorial Service: Tuesday, January 16, 7:00 p.m. Friendship-Schiller Masonic Temple, 4625 Morrison Road, Denver, CO. Family requests memorials be sent to: Dogs for the Deaf, 101 Wheeler Road, Central Point, OR 97502-9360. Hazel M. Bardsley was born on July 31, 1908in Perry, Oklahoma a day recalled by her mother, Sara Ellen Aspland, when it was 110 degrees in the shade, and NO shade. Her father, James W. Meagher, was an Irish immigrant who ran in the Oklahoma Land Rush in 1889 at the age of 32. The section of land he obtained at that time was held by him for nearly 60 years. As a toddler, Hazel moved with her parents and beloved grandmother to Vancouver, Washington. She graduated from high school there, and from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon with honors in 1930. She taught hight school English and foriegn langueges in Deer Park, Tacoma and Spokane, Washington. In 1961 she joined the U.S. Department of Defense Overseas Education System for military departments, serving the U.S. Army Okinawa, the U.S. Navy in Rota, Spain and the U.S. Air Force in Tripoli, Libya and Madrid, Spain untill her retirment in 1978. At that tme she moved to Lakewood, Colorado where she could be near her daughters family and not too far from that of her son's. She served as President and several other offices of her NARFE Chapter #1085 in Lakewood. She was Worthy Matron of Heritage Chapter #154, order of the Eastern Star in 1985 with her son-in-law, Gene Petersen. She also served on the Senior Advisory Board of the Lakewood City Council. Hazel led and active, intellectually-stimulating life always. She was a devoted mother and grandmother. Famous for her marvelous stories and quick wit, she touched many lives in many places. Maybe her most satisfying teaching accomplishment was to have had a Rhodes Scholar as a senior in high school. Hazel joined her dear family members and many, many friends on January 11, 2007. She is survived by her son John C. Bardsley, El Paso, TX; her daughter, Sharon L. Petersen, Lakewood, Colorado; three granddaughters, Kendra Ann Dunstan, Bethlehem, PA, Jessica Eve Bardsley, El Paso, TX, Kirsten Marie Petersen, Denver, Colorado; one grandson, Dana Jon Petersen, Denver, Colorado; one great-granddaughter, Trinity Eve Dunstan, Bethlehem, PA; one granddaughter who pre-deceased her, Laurel Dawn Bain; a nephew Harold A. (Duke) York, Tacoma, WA; and a host of friends.