Hazel A. (Fralish) Neubert

Mankato Mortuary 1001 N. Riverfront Drive Mankato, MN 56001 (507) 388-2202 Hazel A. (Fralish) Neubert, age 91, of Mankato, died Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Laurel's Peak, Mankato. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, November 9, 2015 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Mankato with Rev. Collette Broady Grund, officiating. Burial will be in Minneopa Cemetery, rural Mankato. Visitation will be held from 2-5 p.m., Sunday at Mankato Mortuary and will continue one hour before service at the church on Monday. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Hazel was born August 16th, 1924 in Kathryn, North Dakota, to Harry Martin Stone and Anna Olsberg Stone. She was delivered by a midwife in the upstairs of her dad's meat market. Harry Stone came to Minnesota at the age of 16 by himself. Harry worked in Duluth as a street car conductor before going to North Dakota to work with his uncle Ole on a farm. After a time, he owned and operated a meat market in Kathryn. Anna Olsberg came to North Dakota with her family when she was a young child. She worked as a seamstress. Hazel was named after the first born child of Harry and Anna who died at the age of 12. Other siblings include: Kermit, Sylvia, Gladys and Sadie (all deceased). As a child, Hazel had 13 outside cats and 1 house cat. She also had a black & brown dog named "Teddy". Hazel attended primary grades 1-3 at a school very close to their home. The rest of her schooling was at a school quite a distance from home and involved a longer walk. If the weather was supposed to be bad they would not have to pack a lunch and would go home early, so the walk would not be hazardous for them. Mom also had a pen pal in sixth grade. Her name was Sally Grant and she lived in Alaska. Hazel had many activities as a child. She went sledding, played "kick the can", went roller skating and played "hoop, stick & wheel". Some of the toys mom remembered playing with when she was a child are: dolls, a table and chair set, a tea set and a wagon. Mom did not have a bicycle or a television. Hazel's parents owned a phonograph and played records or they would listen to radio shows such as; Jack Armstrong, Little Orphan Annie and Lux Theatre. Hazel graduated from high school in 1943. Harry (her dad) sold the meat market and moved the whole family to Fargo. In Fargo, Hazel joined her sister, Sadie, working at Armour Creamery. The work consisted of plucking chickens and candling eggs. Mom was then promoted to the receiving department working as a cashier. It was here that she met Lawrence William Fralish. He was a truck driver for Armour. Larry asked mom out and on their first date they went to a show. Hazel & Larry dated for 2 years before getting married at the ages of 23 & 22, on September 14, 1947. After marrying Larry, Hazel quit Armour and went to work in a women's department store. She worked until she had their first born son, in the year 1950. Larry eventually quit Armour and operated his own delivery service in Fargo until 1952. After leaving Fargo, they lived in the cities of Williston & Mandan. During this time, Larry worked for Kraft Foods. In 1960 they arrived in Mankato with 5 children and 3 years later their 6th child was born. Larry now worked as a salesman for Folgers Coffee, a division of Proctor and Gamble. The family first lived in West Mankato at 707 Belwood Drive. In 1968, they moved to a bigger home near Minneopa Golf Course in rural Mankato. Hazel got her driver's license in the year 1968 at the age of 44. She worked for the next 20 years (outside the home) as a cook for Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt schools in Mankato. Most days she rode to work with a friend from the neighborhood, Marvel Bickel. Marvel had a "red beetle" Volkswagen car. Larry was diagnosed with leukemia in 1971. He battled this illness for 10 years and died at the young age of 56 in July of 1981. Hazel and Larry were married for 34 years. It was 5 years later that Hazel met yet another wonderful man. Widower, Stanley Franklin Neubert was introduced to Hazel at the "Senior Prom" at the Kato Ballroom in May of 1986. They married on February 14th, 1987. They were married for 19 years until Stan's passing in 2006. Hazel was an active member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church for 55 years (since 1960). Hazel loved her church family and participated in many activities over the years. She was a member of the Rachel circle. Hazel is survived by her six children, Steven (Mary) of Mankato, MN, Lee (Diane) of Apple Valley, UT, Colleen Mertesdorf of Faribault, MN, Kent (Pat) of Mankato, MN, Pamela (Randy), Schindle of St. Clair, MN, and Jason (Lisa) of Palatine, IL; four step-children, Sharon (John) Hovde of St. Cloud, MN, Dee Eeg of Green Bush, MN, Dick (Karen) Neubert, Tom (Jo) Neubert all of North Mankato, MN; 23 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Hazel was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Larry Fralish in 1981; husband, Stan Neubert in 2006; and step son-in-law, Ross Eeg; special friend, Milo "Mike" Sindelir; four sisters and one brother.