Edna Hazelton, 87, of Rochester, MN (formerly Spring Valley and Merrifield, MN) died peacefully surrounded by family at Seasons Hospice House on Saturday, Jan. 23.  She was a patient briefly at Mayo Clinic Saint Marys Campus after suffering a stroke before moving to the Seasons Hospice House.

Edna was born Feb 5, 1928 to Nathaniel and Jennie (Richey) Smith in rural Spring Valley where she grew up and attended a Maple Leaf Fillmore County school.  Edna worked at the Commercial Hotel in Spring Valley for 3 years.  She married Roger Hazelton on Oct 10, 1948 in Spring Valley where she and her husband owned and operated the Shady Rest Motel for 12 years.  Edna was a full-time homemaker and did in-home day care for several years after they sold their motel.  When Roger retired in 1983, they moved to a lake home in Merrifield, MN until his death in 1993.

Edna enjoyed doing crossword and word puzzles, writing poems, drawing and painting pictures, fishing, baking, reading, refinishing furniture, going to auctions and garage sales, and always maintained a garden with many vegetables and flowers.  She had a "green thumb" and could grow and keep anything thriving.

She is survived by a son, Rodney (Susan) Hazelton of Stewartville; a daughter, Kathy (Tom) DeBoer of Rochester; a granddaughter, Jennie (Kevin) Condon, and two great grandchildren, Ben and Amber Condon of Rochester; one brother-in-law, Rev. John (Carol) Hazelton of McCloud, OK; one sister-in-law, Iva Smith of Spring Valley, and nieces and nephews.

Edna was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one sister, and two brothers.

The family wishes to thank the Neurology Stroke Team and nursing staff at Mayo Clinic-Saint Marys Campus and the staff at Seasons Hospice House for their excellent care.

Visitation will be on Tuesday Jan. 26 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home.  A family service will be held later with burial at the Hamilton Cemetery in rural Racine, MN.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Seasons Hospice in Rochester.