Hazel Aslett

Hazel Eleanor Malone Aslett was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, on October 5, 1918. Her grandfather, Ephriam Malone, was one of the early, 1880’s, settlers in Twin Falls County.

Her father, Hershel Malone was a farmer, and he and her mother, Leatha, raised nine children, two girls, including Hazel, and seven brothers. They all grew up on working farms in and around the Twin Falls area. Her nearly century-long life saw many changes. As a child, she remembered going to school in horse drawn wagons, and helping on the farm. Washing clothes by hand, baking from scratch, cooking on wood-fired iron stoves, and canning food at harvest time for the winter. Canning continued to be an annual task that she did nearly all her life; her tomatoes, peaches, green beans, jams and jellies were always better than anything from a grocery store, no matter what decade. She experienced the challenges of the great depression. Living on farms the family always had enough to eat, but there wasn’t always money for shoes or school books, so she worked odd jobs when she could, including after school bathing little children at a shelter.

   Hazel had natural artistic talent, and after High school graduation in 1938, she studied art at a trade school in Weiser, Idaho, which was part of President Roosevelt’s new deal. There she met her future husband, Dale Aslett. Dale knew immediately that she was the love of his life and announced on their first date that he was leading her to the alter. It took a couple years to convince her though; independent Hazel wasn’t sure she wanted to get married. In time she realized what Dale had known first, that they were meant for each other. In 1941 they eloped, and began a 60 year marriage full of love and laughter, respect and true partnership. During WW II, while Dale was flying in the Air Force, Hazel worked at Douglas Aircraft in California building DC 10 planes. After the War, they returned to Twin. Dale and a couple of his brothers bought surplus army equipment under the G I bill and started Aslett Construction company and built roads. In 1946 their daughter Cindy was born, followed by Judy in 1949.

   In the 1950’s, Dale decided to start his own company, Dale Aslett Sand and Gravel. Right from the beginning Hazel was company secretary, managing records, ordering supplies and parts, doing the payroll, and banking. In 1956 they built their own house on Eastland Drive in Twin. Hazel designed the house herself, drawing her own building plans. After living for several years in trailers because of the post WWII housing shortage, they wanted a house with plenty of room, and a big basement rumpus room where they could host family parties. Hazel painted a beautiful landscape mural that filled one wall. The room also had a fireplace, a dance floor, a bar, and a jukebox, and was so open and large that they needed two steel construction I beams to hold up the floor above when the house was built. Dale was one of 15 children, Hazel one of 9, so there was lots of family around to enjoy the parties.

   In the early sixties, Hazel reconnected with old friends from High School, when they planned a 25 year anniversary High School reunion together. This led her to join “the coffee group”. A group of women friends who met weekly at one another’s homes to socialize over coffee and snacks. As time passed, and the membership numbers grew smaller, it became lunch at a restaurant. She developed close personal friendships with several of the women, and throughout its changing membership over the decades, going to “coffee” with her good friends was a weekly ritual for Hazel on into her 90’s.

   Through the sixties, seventies and eighties, the Dale Aslett Sand and Gravel Company expanded beyond road building into mining, and ore processing in Idaho, Nevada and Utah. These were busy years and they worked hard, but as Dale put it, “Work hard, but play hard too. You need to have some fun.”

   Fun was fishing trips, camping and hunting in large family groups. Big Fourth of July Aslett family reunion camping trips in Stanley Basin, fishing on Magic reservoir on the special barge that Dale built, hunting in the Selway. Hazel enjoyed fishing and was good at it. There were also card parties, playing poker and pinochle; Saturday nights enjoying gambling and a show at Jackpot, Nevada. Hazel was lucky when she gambled, and good at cards too, a sharp player and she often won.   Around 1980, Dale and Hazel, along with a couple Aslett brothers, Marvin and Artel, moved a cabin onto land at Fisher Creek, near Stanley, Idaho. Then they formed EZA Corporation and other family members bought stock in “the cabin”. To this day the cabin is still owned, maintained, and shared by Aslett family members.

   Hazel and Dale traveled a lot related to work; often Hazel would drive and Dale would nap; Hazel didn’t mind. She said that driving through the wide open spaces of Idaho and Nevada, made her feel relaxed and at peace. They traveled for pleasure too. There were vacation trips, usually with other family, to Hawaii and Alaska, Mexico, California, Texas, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Nashville, Detroit, Chicago, and the Great Lakes, Las Vegas, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, all the western states, and a Caribbean cruise.

   Of course, life had its challenges, its ups and downs, but Hazel and Dale faced them together, supporting each other always. In the nineties Dale began to develop health problems and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. As his symptoms became worse Hazel took care of him, nursed him, and he told her daily how much he loved her and appreciated her. In 2001, at 83, Dale passed away; afterward the first couple years were very lonely for Hazel. Most of Dale’s brothers and sisters had already passed on, and many of Hazel’s siblings, and friends were gone too, but in time she found the strength to get out in the world again. She started attending a senior center in Twin, made some new friends, and enjoyed playing cards and having lunch at the center. She was very popular with the others at the senior center. On days when she couldn’t go they often called to check on her and encourage her to come next time. Always an attractive woman, Hazel aged well, looking younger than her actual years. When one of the men at the senior center complimented her and asked how she kept looking so good, Hazel just smiled and told him, “I’m an artist, and I know how to paint.”

   Hazel was an artist, painting mainly wonderful landscapes, and majestic animals, in oil and in pastels. She was strong, resourceful, and capable. She did all kinds of work around her home: hung wallpaper, laid flooring, painted, gardened, whatever needed to be done. She was a loving wife, a loyal friend, a caring daughter to her own parents, and a good mother to her two daughters. She taught her daughters by example to be self-reliant, and to believe they could manage any task because they saw her do it. She also inspired their own artistic talents and to express art and creativity in their own lives, as she had done.

Hazel drove her own car at 92, and lived in the home she loved until she was 96, when advanced age finally began to catch up with her. Hazel passed away peacefully, at an assisted living facility, on August 13, 2016. She was 97, would have been 98 in October – almost a century old. Hazel led a full life; she had a wonderful loving marriage of 60 years, two daughters, many friends, and was close to a large extended family. She had challenges in her life but she met them with spirit and determination, and she had adventures. She climbed a Mayan temple in Mexico, danced under the stars on a cruise ship at sea, sang on the stage of the Grand Old Opry, raced her brother-in-law on the interstate after picking up their new cars in Detroit, and won. In the 50’s she won a polaroid camera on the original “Price is Right” game show, and she once rode snow mobiles thru the wonderland of Yellowstone in the winter.

   According to her wishes, Hazel was cremated and her ashes were buried in Twin Falls Cemetery, next to Dale – together again and always. She is survived by her two daughters: Cindy Medlin (Chatsworth, CA) and Judy Love (Twin falls, ID), five grandchildren: Samantha Deming, Nicola Medlin, Travis Medlin (Chatsworth, CA), Misty Love-Stanger, and Amber Stone, two step-grandchildren Dacia Love, and Dean Love (all Boise, ID), and six great-grandchildren: Leland Deming, James Medlin, Cassandra Stone, Nathan Love-Stanger, Mika Love-Stanger, Makoto Love-Stanger, and countless nieces and nephews.

   There are photos of Hazel and Dale on the photo section of this site. The family welcomes your comments and any pictures or memories you wish to share.