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Hazel Doreen Francis of Whitewood, SK, passed away on Thursday, February 24, 2022, at the age of 96 years.

Hazel was born on June 8, 1925, on the farm near Neville, SK, the 9th of 11 children born to Edward and Mary Carleton. She attended country school and had many stories of walking or riding horses to school and the mischief of the boys. Hazel started working out at an early age, looking after the homes and children of others. At 17 years old, she was cooking for threshing crews by herself.

Hazel met a teenage Donald John Francis when he was working on a farm near Rosetown. They communicated while Don was overseas during WWII and were married on September 12, 1946. They established their home in Whitewood and had four children: Terry, Ken, Beverly and Leonard.

Hazel and Donald worked side by side in several ventures, including a mink farm and large-scale turkey farm, an ambulance service and a funeral director service. After Donald took an auctioneer course, they established Francis Auction Service, conducting home and farm auctions and operating a livestock auction mart. A fire destroyed the auction barn in 1962, but with community support, they immediately rebuilt it, bigger and better. Throughout, Hazel managed the home and the children, maintained a large garden and enjoyed baking, cross stitching and quilting.

Donald died in 1986. For several years after, Hazel enjoyed her winters in Texas and Arizona, driving back and forth by herself until she was well into her 80s.

Hazel was a strong, independent woman, a respected and beloved role model for all women in her family, especially her granddaughters.