GILLESPIE, Hazel

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ September 17, 2007 Hazel West Fish Gillespie, 93, died Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007, in Show Low. She was born June 15, 1914, in Lakeside to the late Ezra Joseph and Elma (Stratton) West. Her great-grandfather was Edmund L. Ellsworth, an early pioneer of Show Low who was the captain of the First Handcart Company from Iowa to the Salt Lake Valley. At the age of four her mother Elma passed away. Her father then married Veralda Lisonbee, whom she loved dearly. Hazel graduated from Phoenix Union High School in 1932. On January 10, 1933, she married Glen M. Fish in the Mesa Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Glen passed away in 1939 after a bout with pneumonia. In 1944 Hazel married Guy A. Gillespie at Fort Bliss, Texas. She worked for several years as the U.S. postmaster in Lakeside. She also worked as a secretary for her father's insurance company. Hazel was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in several callings, including Relief Society president while living in Mesa, as well as a secretary at the Mesa Temple for six years. In the 1980s Hazel and her second husband, Guy, served a mission for the church in the England Manchester Mission. After her mission, she was able to visit her brother's grave, who was killed at the Battle of the Bulge, at the Lorraine National Cemetery in France. She was an accomplished pianist and could play just about anything on the piano from ragtime to classical. She taught several of her children and grandchildren how to play. She even played the piano at some of the dances her children attended. Hazel enjoyed working with her hands and made "grandma shawls" for all the granddaughters. She also made quilts by the dozen. Her family will always treasure the beautiful pictures she took with her own camera. In spite of all her achievements, she considered her children and grandchildren to be her greatest accomplishments. Hazel is survived by her sons, Glen Vaughn (Elaine) Fish of Joseph City, Merwyn Joe (Lorraine) Fish of Linden, Barry W. (Bonnie) Fish of Lakeside, Guy Marion (Barbara) Gillespie of Linden, Weston R. (Debbie) Gillespie of Mesa and Stephen R. Gillespie of Linden; daughter Dolores Batt of Glendora, Calif.; son-in-law Jay Orr of Glendora, Calif.; 26 grandchildren, 56 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Glen M. Fish in 1939 and Guy A. Gillespie in 1999; one daughter, Beverly Orr, in 2006; grandson Melvin Fish; great-grandson Connor Gillespie; sisters Marzelle Higgins and Virginia Whipple; brothers Marion West and Alma West. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Show Low Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a visitation from 6-8 p.m. Friday evening at Owens Mortuary, 320 N. 9th Street in Show Low and one hour prior to services at the church in the Relief Society Room. Interment will be in the Lakeside Cemetery. Owens Mortuary of Show Low handled the arrangements. For those who have special memories and would like to send private condolences or sign an online guestbook, visit www.owensmortuary.com.