Richard "Shorty" Hazer

Richard Carl “Shorty” Hazer, age 88, of Elizabeth, Illinois, died on Thursday, September 1, 2016 at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Rockford, Illinois. Cremation rites have been accorded. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, September 10, 2016 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Elizabeth. Burial will take place in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Elizabeth. A visitation will be held from 12:00 noon-2:00 p.m., prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be given to the Elizabeth Fire Department in Shorty’s name.
Richard was born on November 3, 1927, the son of William and Genevieve (Wagner) Hazer in LaMotte, Iowa. He attended Hanover High School and graduated with the Class of 1945. He was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War and was assigned to maintaining the motor pool. He married Verlys Breed on January 26, 1953 in St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Hanover.
Shorty loved turning wrenches and was a mechanic his entire life. In his younger years, Shorty worked at the Savanna Army Depot and later as a mechanic for the Adam’s Garage in Hanover and the Elizabeth Garage. He also served as the Elizabeth Postmaster for 20 years, retiring from the US Postal Service in 1984. Shorty was a longtime member of the Hanover VFW Post# 5300. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and tinkering in the garage. Most of all, Shorty treasured spending time with his family and friends.
Shorty will be dearly missed by his wife, Verlys; two sons, William (Connie) Hazer of Loves Park, Illinois, and Clark (Kim) Hazer of Stockton, Illinois; one daughter, Rhonda Larkin of Loves Park; three grandchildren, Nikita, Kyle, and Corey, a step-granddaughter Hannah Winter; two great-granddaughters; and one sister, Kay (Larry) Berlage of Elizabeth. Shorty was preceded in death by his parents; and seven brothers and sisters.