Hazel Dodds

Hazel June (Skeeters) Dodds was born in Jack, Missouri, on July 13, 1928, to A. Clifford and Mae Dewey (Casey) Skeeters. She left this world to be with her Lord and Savior on April 12, 2022, at the age of 93 years, 8 months, and 30 days.

Hazel’s hardworking parents raised her and her eight siblings in a Christian home on 80 acres, about eight miles southwest of Salem, Missouri. There wasn’t much money, but there was enough to eat and a lot of love to go around.

In the little community of Jack, Hazel attended and graduated the 8th grade at the Dry Fork School. She was saved and baptized at the age of 8 at the Dry Fork Baptist Church. She went to work at Ely Walker in Salem at age 15, and then moved to St. Louis at age 17. There she found employment at Ligget and Meyers Tobacco Co. and Toastwell Company. After turning 18, she began working at Ritepoint Company.

It was at the Dent County Fair in 1946 where she met up with her future husband, David Dodds. Both were working in St. Louis, but fate was to be in their hometown of Salem. They were married in 1947 and started raising a family of their own. In 1952, Hazel, David, and their first three children moved to Mountain Grove when they purchased Norwood Motor Freight. Their fourth child came along, and Mountain Grove became the new hometown.

Hazel was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, David, in 1997, and her son, Ronnie, in 2001. Also preceding her are three brothers, Johnnie, Max, and AC (Junior) Skeeters, and three sisters, Ruthene Haffner, Azalee Winston, and Peggy Allision.

She is survived by one son, Tommy (Linda) Dodds of Nixa, Missouri, two daughters, Karen (Larry) Binkley and Deby (Danny) Gilley of Mountain Grove, Missouri, daughter-in-law, Carol Dodds of Springfield, Missouri, seven grandchildren, Christy (John) Dodds, Shane (Mechille) Binkley, Aaron (Steva) Dodds, Nicole (Jared) Overholser, Tara (Josh) Ellliott, Cortney (Misty) Dodds, and Levi Blanchette, nineteen great-grandchildren, Kaylynn, Caleb, Chase, Clay, Gage, Tristin, Jordan, Cache, Gavin, Braxton, Maddy, Cole, Easton, Taylor, Brodey, Parker, Kara, Aubree, and Finley, and two great-great grandchildren, Cole and Baylor, one brother, Dee (Brenda) Skeeters of Houston, Missouri, sister, Pat (Don) Floyd of Salem, Missouri, brother-in-law, Clyde Dale of Webb City, Missouri, sister-in-law, Carolyn Massie of Springfield, Missouri, and a host of nieces and nephews and her extended family, the Douglass clan, who will miss her greatly.