Elaine Lily Hazlett, 79, of Lawson, MO, passed away on September 2nd, 2024. Elaine was a much-beloved resident of Lawson, MO, for over 52 years. She became known as an inspirational force as well as an adoptive mother and grandmother to so many in the community.

Elaine took life’s hardships in stride and epitomized the role model of forgiveness described in the bible. Spending time with her family was her greatest joy. In her later years, she opened her home to her siblings, children… grandchildren… great-grandchildren ….a gentle rottweiler Lyla, and too many wayward neighborhood cats – and boy did she love them!

Her desire to be a nurse took a back seat for many years while raising her 5 daughters, but at 46 she graduated from nursing school and began working for NKC Hospital. Elaine was the “go to” nurse on the floor as an expert in “everything nursing” including the one to start IV’s when no one else could accomplish it. She received many accolades and appreciative notes from patients in her care and loved to see them leave the hospital in better health. Her chronic Gullian Barre sidelined her from her career only for a time, even though doctors told her that she could no longer work as a nurse due to the long term effects of the disease, she worked hard to get back to the career she loved. She returned to nursing again doing what she loved best.

Once, having the opportunity to travel to Italy to visit her daughter, she had to secure a passport which required first having a birth certificate. This proved difficult because Elaine was born at home to her parents, Albert and Laurena Coffelt. She was able to find relatives who were present at her birth to testify that she was, in fact, born in the U.S.A. and obtain her first birth certificate to then acquire a passport in 2003. She described going to Rome and Venice as a “trip of a lifetime”.

Upon retirement from NKC Hospital, she found she needed emergency open heart surgery. This setback was once again taken in stride and she recovered to enjoy being home tending to family, birds, cats and an occasional opossum- but sometimes not in that order. Did we say she loved her cats?

Elaine’s greatest heartache in life was the passing of her granddaughter, Melissa James, at 4 years old from illness. Her joy today will be joining Melissa in the arms of Jesus. Her heart is healed, her Guillian-Barre gone, and her joints are restored in a new heavenly body in the presence of her Lord and Savior.

She leaves behind her family of five daughters and one step-daughter, their spouses, 17 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. Her daughters in order of birth are, Pam Arsenault, Nancy Crouch, Lisa Williams (and Ken), Karen Parrish (and Charles), LeeAnn Hier, and Michelle Anaya (and Jesse). Also surviving are her two sisters, Alberta Goans of Excelsior Springs, MO, and Debbie Temple of Topeka, KS.

Elaine was preceded in death by her siblings, Oren Hearn, Betty Westmoreland, Wayne Coffelt, Larry Coffelt and “Chuck” Coffelt, and her granddaughter, Melissa James.

The funeral service will be held on September 14th, 2024 at Elaine’s church, The Old Christian Union Church in Lawson, MO. The visitation will be held at 10 a.m. with a memorial service immediately following at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family would love donations in Elaine’s honor to Reno Ranch Rescue, a local pet rescue that can be located at “Reno Ranch Rescue” on Facebook or www.RenoRanchRescue.simdif.com.

Arrangements in the care of Bross & Spidle Funeral Home Lawson Chapel.