Lee Junior Hazen, 96, of Missouri Valley, passed away on Sept. 15, 2019, at Longview Nursing Home in Missouri Valley.
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Sept. 21, at Hennessey Funeral Home, Missouri Valley. Burial services will be 2 p.m. at the Orient Cemetery. Visitation will be 5 to 8:00 p.m. Friday at Hennessey Funeral Home.
Honorary casket bearers are Drew Hazen, Kenny Jorgenson, Dale Keilon, Carl Schroeder, Ralph Brueggemann, Winston Kingory, Fred Sapienza and Ralph Marcan.
Casket bearers are Jacub Hazen, Curtis Hazen, Nick Hazen, James LeBreton, Dustin Messinger and Bryce Messinger
Lee Junior Hazen was born March 2, 1923, in Union County to Rufus Frank and Anna C. (Huddleson) Hazen. He had eight younger brothers and sisters: Earl, Shirley, Donnie, Levinne, LaVonne, Bernice, Dorothy and Janet. After graduation in 1942, he went into the Army Air Corp and went to war. His plane was shot down over Germany on their 26th mission. They were taken prisoners and sent to a prisoner of war camp for one year. When the allies were winning, they were sent on a forced march, where many men died. They were found by Canadian Forces and sent home.
Lee Hazen married Lorene E. Schroeder in 1947 at the Cross Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. They had four children: Kathryn, Larry, Randy and Jill, ten grandchildren and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Lee retired from the post office. He and Lorene worked at the Timothy Lutheran Church doing various activities throughout their lives. He lived with Randy and Patti for 15 plus years and later moved to Longview Assisted Living Home in Missouri Valley, where he passed away.
Lee was proceeded in death by his parents, wife Lorene Hazen, siblings: Earl Hazen, Shirley Doan, Levinne Badgerow, Lavonne Oshel, Dorothy Jones, Donnie Hazen and Janet Bissell; and many aunts and uncles.
He is survived by his children: Kathryn LeBreton of St. Albans, Maine, Randy (Patti) Hazen of Magnolia; Jill (Philip) Palmer of Council Bluffs; grandchildren: April Carmichael, James LeBreton, Tiffini Dunn, Nicolas Hazen, Jacub Hazen, Curtis Hazen, Drew Hazen, Bryce Messinger, Dustin Messinger and Elizabeth Evans; sister Bernice Arey of Highland Ranch, Colorado.