Hazel Whitaker, age 89 of Turtle Lake, ND died Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at the Community Memorial Hospital in Turtle Lake.

A memorial service will be held 2:00 P.M. Friday, Aug. 26th at Trinity Lutheran Church in Turtle Lake with Pastor Betty J. Stedman officiating.

Hazel was born July 15, 1922 in Anamoose, ND to Carl & Ella Marie (Bolte) Heer. She attended school in Anamoose and graduated from high school in 1940. She married Leo Pillatzke in 1942 and they made their home in Anamoose. Leo passed away at an early age. Hazel then married Clifford Whitaker in 1952. They lived in Kenmare, ND for a short time before moving to Sidney, MT in 1957. Hazel was employed as a bookkeeper at Great Plains Lumber Yard in Sidney, MT for several years. She moved to Turtle Lake in 2002 and entered the Community Memorial Hospital swing-bed unit in June 2011. Hazel loved to embroider and finished over 500 sets of dishtowels. Her favorite game to play with family and friends was Skip-Bo.

She is survived by two daughters, Bonne (Laurence) Nelson of Turtle Lake, and Darlene (Bob) Nemec of Phoenix, AZ; 5 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; & 3 great-great grandchildren; & one brother, Vernon (Alyce) Heer of Anamoose, ND.

Hazel was preceded in death by her daughter (Karen Haney), two husbands (Leo & Clifford), and one sister (Edith Anseth).