Hazel Alter

Hazel Irene Alter, 83, died Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at Vista Mesa Assisted Living in Cortez, Colorado.
Mrs. Alter was born November 5, 1929 in Rockwell, Iowa the daughter of George and Eleanore Dirks. Hazel's father was a minister and so the family lived in various towns in Iowa. She graduated from high school in Dike, Iowa in 1947 and shortly thereafter, she enrolled in a teacher training program for rural schools. So at the age of 17, she was a school teacher in a one room schoolhouse for grades 1 through 8. Hazel was very proud of that accomplishment. She married Bernard Alter in Grundy County, Iowa in 1948. The couple had two children and after three years of teaching, she was a dedicated homemaker. She and her husband were members of St. John's Lutheran church in Cedar Falls, Iowa for 64 years. Hazel was an excellent baker. She also liked to sew and enjoyed being with children. She went back to work as a teacher's aide for 17 years in Cedar Falls and then retired in 1988 and moved to be near her daughter in Colorado in 2012. She always expressed how beautiful Durango was and enjoyed her time while she was here. She is survived by Jane (Louis) Steele (daughter and son-in-law) of Durango, Colo., Joel (Peggy Lexau) Alter (son and daughter-in-law) of St. Paul, Minn., 7 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, Robert Dirks (brother) of Ill., Ruth Lantosh (sister) of Calif., Janice Eisenbeisz (sister) also of Calif. She was preceded in death by her husband Bernard.