Mary Ruth Roberts Hazel

Funeral Services celebrating the life of Mary Ruth Roberts Hazel, 88, of West Monroe, LA will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, September 2, 2017, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home West Monroe, LA with Rev. Ricky Baker officiating. Interment will follow in the Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery Monroe, LA.

Mary Hazel was born on September 8, 1928, in Downsville, LA and passed away on August 30, 2017. She was a life-long resident of North Louisiana and the Monroe area, where she graduated from Downsville High School. Mary was a long time member of First Baptist Church of West Monroe and actively participated in onsite worship services held at her health care facilities. She worked 38 years for Bellsouth Telephone Company, starting in the days of the manual switchboards. As a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America she assisted in many charity fundraising events. Mary had a special gift for cooking and loved to provide lavish holiday spreads for her family and friends. Her recipes and cooking secrets were much in demand. She had a gift of always finding a way to assist her family and friends when in need. Mrs. Hazel is preceded in death by her husband of 30 years, Col. USAR, Ret. Gene C. Hazel; parents, Claude and Myrtle Roberts; brothers, Hugh and Odell Roberts; and granddaughter, Andrea Austin.

Survivors include her son, Stephen Rugg and wife, Patricia of Monroe, LA; daughter, Susan Rugg Austin and husband, David of Shreveport, LA; sister, Lida Roberts Cox; three grandchildren, Jeff Rugg and wife, Angela of Rayville, LA, Heather Austin Wilson and husband, Chris of Lawrence, KS and Casey Austin and wife, Trang of Colorado Springs, CO; four great-grandchildren, Hannah Rugg Ampuero, Kyle Rugg, Cameron Rugg, and Lucy Wilson; and many nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Jeff Rugg, Kyle Rugg, Cameron Rugg, Dr. David Austin, Casey Austin and Chris Wilson.

Memorials may be made in Mrs. Hazel’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 A.M. until Service Time on Saturday.

The family would like to express a special thank you to her recent care facilities The Oaks of Louisiana in Shreveport, LA and to StoneyBrook Alzheimer's Care of West Monroe, LA.