Hazel Flanigan was born on July 17th, 1914, five miles south of Cherokee, Iowa, at a place known as Flanigan's Corner. Her parents were Thomas and Mary (King) Flanigan. Hazel was the oldest of four children-brothers Harold, Earl, and a sister, Ruth.
When Hazel was eight years old, her father passed away. That left Hazel, along with her mother, brothers, and sister, to feed the hogs, milk the cows, feed and water the chickens, and gather the eggs. Since Hazel was the oldest of the children, much of the responsibility of working the farm fell to her. It was at this time that her strong work ethic was born.
When Hazel's father died, the family's only mode of transportation was by horse and buggy. They used it to make the five mile trek to town for groceries and to attend church.
When Hazel was 22 years of age, she went to work for a family who lived west of Cherokee. She cooked, cleaned, and did laundry for $4.00 a week plus room and board. While working there, she met Lawrence Rupp. When she was in her mid twenties, Lawrence and Hazel were married at Immaculate Conception Church in Cherokee, Iowa. Initially, they lived and worked on rented farm ground near Maryhill. It was there that they started a family that eventually grew to eleven children - seven girls and four boys. They moved to a farm 5 1/2 miles south of Marcus in 1944. Then in 1948 they moved to a home just 1 1/2 miles south of Marcus. Lawrence and Hazel continued to live there until 1973 when they moved to a new home in Marcus.
Hazel's education ended before she completed high school, but she valued education and insisted that any of her children who wanted to go to college would have the opportunity to do so. No matter how busy she was, she always took us to the library on Saturday. Many of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have outstanding careers and educations due to her attitude toward education.
Hazel was a very giving person. She spent most of the life caring for other people. Besides raising 11 children, she dedicated her time helping the elderly. She was always there to help them with grocery shopping, getting their meal, and spending time visiting with them to ease their loneliness.
Hazel may be best remembered for her strong work ethic, her conservative values, her love of gardening and flowers, and, in later years, cutting her grass on her riding lawn mower. She also loved to quilt and made over 50 quilts. Hazel was a very religious person attending daily Mass in her later years. She had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the rosary.
On October 29, 2011, Hazel passed away at the Heartland Care Center in Marcus at the age of 97. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence; a sister, Ruth Streeter; a brother, Earl Flanigan, and a granddaughter, Melissa Holton.
She is survived by her eleven children; sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Cindy Rupp, Marcus, IA; Galen and Sharon Rupp, Marcus, IA; Ronnie and Shirley Rupp, Bentonville, AR; Keith and Barbara Rupp of Lincoln, NE; daughters and sons-in-law, Jeanene and Don Schaefer, Omaha, NE; Bonnie and Keith Bratcher, Wheatland, MO; Linda and Keith Finkral, Lambertville, NJ; Dianne and Harold Klassen, Marcus, IA; Jackie and Gary Smitson, St. Pete's Beach, FL; Karen and Kelly Sieckmeyer, Lincoln, NE; Cindy and John Rupp-Fristik, Stillwater, MN; fourteen grandchildren, thirty-four great-grandchildren; and one brother, Harold Flanigan of St. Paul, MN. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.