Hazel Seabaugh

Hazel I. Seabaugh, 97, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, at Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau, after an injury and brief illness.

She was born Sept. 29, 1924, in Millersville, daughter of Sam D. and Allyne Wise Jones. She and Eugene Seabaugh were married Oct. 29, 1944, in Gideon, Missouri. He passed away April 5, 2006.

Hazel was a graduate of Oak Ridge R-6 High School. While in high school, she was an outstanding basketball player for Millersville and Oak Ridge schools.

Early in life, she worked at the hosiery mill. Hazel and Eugene moved to Oak Ridge in 1956, where they owned and operated Seabaugh's I.G.A. Store for 20 years. They also purchased an 80-acre farm in the Oak Ridge area and, with guidance from the Missouri Conservation Department, they planted a variety of pine trees to be harvested as Christmas trees. This farm later became the first "choose and cut" operation between St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee. With the success of the tree farm turning hobby to business, the grocery store was sold in 1976.

After the sale of the store, Hazel went to work for Oak Ridge schools as a cook for 16 years. Hazel was a longtime, active member of First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge. In 2018, she was honored by the Oak Ridge R-6 School District for 61 years of consecutive attendance at the Alumni Banquet. In 2019, she received the Oak Ridge R-6 District Alumni Association Distinction Award.

Hazel received second place in a national recipe contest sponsored by the Michigan Cherry Industry. Her prize consisted of a cash award as well as a trip to the National School of Food Service Show in San Antonio. In addition to her love of cooking, she invested many years of enjoyment in quilting and ceramics.

Her love of God, family, friends and community was exemplified by her dedicated service.

Loving survivors include a daughter, Cindy (Jack) Luebbers, and their children, Robyn Nesler of Cape Girardeau and Tyler Luebbers (Jen Daley) of Colorado; a son, Ronald E. (Gail) Seabaugh, and their children, Chad (Carmi) Seabaugh and Jaime (Jason) Holloway, all of Oak Ridge; five great-grandchildren, Peyton Luebbers and Kobey Mojzis, both of Millstadt, Illinois, Ryder and Reese Nesler, both of Cape Girardeau, and Colton Holloway of Oak Ridge.

Also surviving are three brothers, J.W. (the late Mary) Jones of Jackson, Tom (the late Vanita) Jones of Fruitland and Michael (the late Bob) Jones of Kansas City, Missouri; two sisters, Betty (Melvin) Riehn of Millersville and Dean (the late Lyman) Craft of Millersville; a brother-in-law, Jerry (the late Phyllis) Seabaugh of Jackson; and many nieces and nephews on both sides of the family.

Hazel was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene Seabaugh; a son, Keith Seabaugh; two sisters, Mary Dale Fronabarger and Helen Haupt; and a brother, Ray Jones.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Cody Fleenor and Brother Mike Cowan officiating. Interment will follow in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by clicking on the "Tribute Wall" tab of Hazel's obituary page at www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.