SEPTEMBER 26, 2022:
A woman who was honored in July by the South Dakota Health Care Association as the oldest resident of the state has passed away at the age of 107.
Hazel Ness died Friday (Sept. 23, 2022) at a care facility in Clark.
Hazel Christopherson was born on May 17, 1915, and was raised with her seven siblings on the family farm near Naples. She was a lifelong resident of Clark County who spoke fluent Norwegian. Ness outlived all of her siblings. She was also preceded in death by her husband Clarence and one daughter.
Her funeral will be held Wednesday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Clark.
(Story courtesy of news partner KWAT.)
JULY 14, 2022:
107-year-old Hazel Christopherson Ness of Clark as the 2022 South Dakota Centenarian of the Year, selected by the South Dakota Health Care Association’s Century Club, along with KELOLAND Television.
Born in May of 1915, Hazel is the current oldest member of the Century ClubSM!
Even at 107 years old, Hazel continues to celebrate her proud Norwegian roots. A 13-year resident of Clark’s Roetell Senior Housing, in recent years she’s helped make lefse for residents and staff, and oyster stew on Christmas Eve. Her birthday is even on May 17th, a national holiday in Norway, known as Constitution Day.
A first generation American, Hazel was born in 1915 to Andrew and Marie Christopherson on the family farm near Naples, SD. She was one of 7 children, who all grew up working on the farm. When asked recently about the secret to her longevity, she told her granddaughters that she was “never babied.”
Hazel has spent her entire life as a resident of Clark County. She married her husband, Clarence Ness, at the Lutheran parsonage in Clark on February 2, 1934. The couple was blessed with two children: Clayton Allen born in 1935, and Dianne Marie, born in 1940. The family farmed in Foxton and Merton Township until 1956, when they moved to Clark.
Hazel worked as a custodian at the local St. Paul Lutheran Church and at different restaurants. She also worked at a local dance hall selling tickets, while her husband worked as a bouncer. Hazel liked to say that she let them in, and Clarence kicked them out!
Hazel served in several organizations, including the Sons of Norway and Extension Homemakers. She was a smart and savvy card player and has belonged to several bridge and card groups over the years. She enjoyed quilting, making handmade quilts for all of her grandchildren. She is a wonderful cook, serving up Norwegian specialties, fresh fruits and vegetables from her garden, and her light and buttery sugar cookies are still a family favorite!
Over the years, Hazel and Clarence enjoyed visiting their children and their families often. She is the proud grandmother of six, and great-grandmother to six more. Her son, Clayton and his family still travel from Oklahoma to see her several times a year.
Hazel was always close to her siblings, especially her three sisters, Margaret, Anna and Clara. When they would all get together, the giggles and laughter could be heard from the street. They loved to play games, tell stories and try to one-up each other with the quickest wit.
Hazel has seen so much in her life including two World Wars, the Spanish flu, the Great Depression and the dirty 30s. Through it all, she’s shown strength and determination, and has never lost her quick wit.
Hazel Ness.
Courtesy photo.
The Century Club was created by the South Dakota Health Care Association to recognize South Dakotans age 100 or older, both for their longevity and their contributions to our state. Over 1,300 South Dakotans have been inducted into the Century Club since its founding in 1997. The Century Club is, as its name states, a club. Therefore, there may be older people in the state that have not yet been inducted by a family member or loved one into the Century Club.
The Century Club is open to any resident of South Dakota upon the celebration of his or her 100th birthday. There are no dues and each inductee receives a specially designed certificate and membership card. Once a year, the current oldest living Century Club Member is recognized as the “Centenarian of the Year.” Submit names for the Century Club by visiting www.sdhca.org and downloading a Century Club application or call LuAnn Severson, Century Club Coordinator, at 1-800-952-3052.
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