Hazel I. Tull

Funeral Services for Hazel I. Tull will be conducted from the First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Monday, May 23, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. with Reverend Dr. W. Kirwin Stewart, Jr. and Pastor Linda Knipping-Potts, officiating.

Interment will be in the Mt. Hope Cemetery at Beaver City, Nebraska at 2:00 p.m.


Hazel Irene (Wright) Kolves Tull, 97 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at Holdrege Memorial Homes. Hazel was born August 15, 1913 on the family farm south of Beaver City in Furnas County, Nebraska, the third of five children of James William and Melissa Mae (Harding) Wright. At the age of five years, she contracted a severe eye infection and caused her to miss a lot of school. She attended the Nedmore School in rural Furnas County, south of Beaver City. During this time, Hazel enjoyed working with her father on the farm.

On September 19, 1931 she was united in marriage to Lawrence F. Kolves in Norton, Kansas. They lived in the Beaver City vicinity for a few years before moving to a farm north of Stamford and then into town in 1946. To this union four children were born: Barbara June, Sharon Kaye, Lawrence Lee and Katherine Mae.

On October 12, 1967 her husband, Lawrence better known to everyone by Bud, suffered death from an accident at his place of business in Stamford. She continued to operate the CO-OP Station for a few months and then sold the business and moved to Holdrege. She was employed by the Brewster Hospital for several years as a nurses aide and then the Phelps Memorial Health Center as a respiratory therapist assistant until her retirement in 1983.

On November 6, 1976 she was united in marriage to Leo C. Tull and they made their home in Holdrege. On July 16, 1997, Leo passed away. Hazel began to make her home at the Chrisoma West Independent Living in February, 2000 when her eye sight began to fail. She then moved into assisted living at Chrisoma West in 2001 and to Holdrege Memorial Homes in November 2007.

Hazel had a special place in her heart for children. She and her sister, Ruby started cooking at a Rec. Center in Stamford for the school children before the hot lunch program was put in the school. In later years the school then built on an addition and she was hired as the head cook.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Missionary Society and Ladies Aid in Stamford. She was a long time member of the Triple P Club in Stamford even after moving to Holdrege.

When her eye sight permitted, she loved to make quilts, afghans and do embroidery work. She also made beautiful ceramics pieces. She made the children and grandchildren each an embroidered quilt and crocheted afghan.

Besides her two husbands and her parents, she was preceded in death by two children: Lawrence Lee in infancy and Katherine Mae at the age of three; son-in-law, Harold Beck; two sisters: Nellie Weaver and her husband, Gail, Ruby Brand and her husband, Carl; one brother, James Wright and his wife, Doris; two grandsons: Keith and Kent Beck; sisters-in-law: Henrietta Woodruff and her husband, Sidney, Orena Woodruff and her husband, Stanley; and brothers-in-law: Arthur Kolves and his wife, Lola and Fred Kolves and his wife, Mildred.

She is survived by her two daughters: Barbara Beck of Holdrege and Sharon Stevens and her husband, Paul of Orleans, Nebraska; three granddaughters: Jodie Witt and her husband, Marvin of Mead, Colorado, Kandis Anderson and her husband, Clark of Las Vegas, Nevada, Holly Abrahamson of Orleans; two grandsons: Kurt Beck and his wife, Wendy of Lincoln, Nebraska, Andrew Stevens and his wife, Heidi of Elko, Nevada; nine great-grandchildren: Amber Buzzard and her husband, Casey, Seth Martin, Maddelynn Anderson, Paige and Ali Abrahamson, Paislee Stevens, Austen, Hanna and Kylie Beck; sister, Wilma Woodruff and her husband, Gayle of Kearney, Nebraska; sister-in-law, Hazel Mackprang and her husband, Leland of Palm Desert, California; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.


Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 22, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

A memorial has been established in her memory and kindly suggested to the First Presbyterian Church or the donor's choice.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home of Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.