Memorial Folder

Hazel was born December 31, 1916, in Schenectady, NY, to parents Richard and Gertrude (Wilson) Brown. In April 1917, along with her parents and older brother William, she left New York traveling by the Canadian-Pacific Railway and traveled to Montana to live on her uncle’s homestead in Richland County, MT. While living on the farm, she attended country school in Elm Coulee and later in Savage, MT. Hazel worked as a cook for threshing crews and various families in the area and also worked as a waitress. On September 28, 1935, she married the true love of her life, Martin Wersland in Glendive, MT. They lived and worked in the homestead area until 1938 when they moved to a farm near Sidney. During World War II they moved to Vancouver, WA, where they remained for a year before returning to the Sidney area to live. They spent 12 years farming and ranching in Buford, ND, where Hazel worked for a time as the school clerk and as the school cook at the Buford School. In 1958 they moved back to the Sidney area for good. After moving back to Sidney she worked as a receptionist but mainly worked at home taking care of all of her family. In 1992, after the death of her precious husband, Hazel moved to an apartment in Sidney where she lived by herself for the past 17 years.
Hazel was a member of the Pella Lutheran Church, the Son’s of Norway #489 and the Sidney Moose Lodge. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, sewing, crocheting, knitting, making pound puppies, and fishing. She enjoyed being able to help others and her greatest love was her family and family gatherings. No one was allowed to leave Grandma Hazel’s without taking some wonderful homemade goodies away with them. There will never be a proper substitute for “Grandma Hazel Buns” overnight buns, or raisin caramel pie! Hazel was one of those rare beautiful people who lived to give of her love and energy and asked nothing in return. Our world will never be as bright or as kind since Hazel has left us.
Hazel died Monday morning, October 26, 2009, at the Sidney Healthcare Extended Care facility with her family by her side.
Hazel is survived by her two sons: Harold (Betty) Wersland, Selfridge, ND and Kenny (Debbie) Wersland, Sidney, MT; three daughters, Helen Hill, Havre, MT, Shirley (Gene) Messer, Round Up, MT, and Connie (Harley) Johnson, Minot, ND; a brother, Robert B. Brown, Sidney, MT; a sister, Helen (George) Brynjulson, Coeur d’Alene, ID; three sister in laws, Helen (Ed) Martin, Miles City, MT, Dorrit Werlsand, Norway, and Margaret Wersland, Norway; 12 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren; numerous nephews and nieces; and a very special friend, Ray Gaffield, Sidney, MT.
Hazel was preceded in death by: her parents; Martin, her beloved husband of 56 years; brothers, William and Hugh Brown; and son-in-law, Walter A. Hill.