Hazel Monson

Hazel Monson, 97, of Hatton, ND passed away Saturday, August 20, 2016 at Hatton Prairie Village in Hatton. A celebration of life will be held Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. at the Hatton Prairie Village Chapel in Hatton. A visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. until the time of the service at the nursing home.

Hazel Monson was born June 20, 1919, in Fairfield Township rural Northwood, ND on a farm known as the "Tollefson farm." She was the younger of twins and the first-born children of Halvor and Ella (Bahr) Nygaard. The twins were tiny and a kitchen oven served as an incubator. When Hazel was a small girl, the family moved to the Dencker farm in Fairfield Township. She attended a country school in Pleasant View Township known as the "Ovind School."

In 1928 the family moved to Williams County in western North Dakota. Her father's mother and two of his brothers lived near Alamo. Hazel attended grade school in Ellisville Township. She was confirmed in the Opdal Lutheran Church, rural Alamo. She attended high school in Alamo and lived with her Grandma Nygaard. While living with her grandmother, she learned to speak Norwegian.

In 1937 her family returned to Thompson, ND. They moved to her Grandpa Bahr's farm as he had retired.

As a young woman Hazel was employed at the Schroeder Store at Holmes, ND, and also at the G. A. Ericson home in Hatton. Later, she was employed as a CNA at Northwood Deaconess Hospital and the Tri-County Nursing Home in Hatton where she worked for 17 years.

On November 6, 1943, she married Norman Monson in Reynolds, ND. The couple farmed in Union and Washington townships near Hatton, ND. Norman died October 19, 1966. They had four children: Yvonne Syverson (Darrell), Larry Monson (Myrna), Clark Monson and Marilyn Miller (Mike).

Hazel was a member of the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church rural Hatton. After it closed, she joined the Stjordalen Lutheran Church, rural Reynolds. She was an active member of the ladies' aid of both congregations.

She enjoyed traveling with family and friends. She traveled to Norway three times; Hawaii, Florida, and Washington, DC were also some of her favorite trips.

She is survived by her children, grandchildren; Robin Stamer (Jeff), Christopher Syverson, Janet Erickson (Ron), Jesse Monson, Jodi Graftaas (Brian), Jamie Monson, Erica Green (Phil), Kirsten Miller, and Anna Miller and great-grandchildren and two brothers, Donald and Ronald Nygaard.

She was preceded in death by her husband Norman; sisters Alice (Mrs. Gilman Onstad), Lucille (Mrs. James Fortman), Maydell (Mrs. Thelmar Tveten), an infant sister Delores; a brother, Kenneth Nygaard and son-in-law Darrell Syverson.

The family will be using Flowers By US in Grand Forks for the flowers. Their number is 701-746-0308