Hazel L. Blenz, 82

Hazel L. Blenz, 82, passed away peacefully, embraced by the love of her family, on April 1, 2016.

The only child of Howard and Ida Anderson, she was born on March 27, 1934, in Spokane, Wash. She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School.

On April 20, 1952, she married the man who would prove to be the love of her life, Bob Blenz and had two sons, Bob Jr. and Ken and resided in Spokane until 1969, when they moved to Deer Park, Wash.

While there she was employed by the Deer Park School District. In 1974, they moved to Blanchard, Idaho, where they owned and operated the Blanchard Tavern until retirement.

A woman of tradition, she enjoyed handwritten letters, giving cards for every occasion and sharing the little things in life with the people she loved the most. She loved animals of all kinds, always going out of her way to make sure even the tiniest of creatures were cared for. She enjoyed gardening, cooking and especially holidays. She always made it known that she still believed in Santa Claus.

Hazel was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, by only three short months. She is survived by her sons, Bob Jr. (Terri) of Deer Park and Ken (Sue) of Blanchard. She is also survived by four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

At her request, no services will be held.

A special thank you to the staff at Kootenai Health for their support. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to your favorite animal shelter or library, or plant some flowers or a tree in her memory.

Yates Funeral Home has been entrusted with the care of final arrangements.