Hazel Greedy, age 102, of Shenandoah

Hazel Greedy, age 102, of Shenandoah, formerly of Sidney, died Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, at Garden View Care Center in Shenandoah following a brief illness. Funeral services were held Nov. 9, 2009, at the United Methodist Church in Sidney. Rev. Jaye Johnson officiated. Interment was in the Sidney Cemetery.

    She was born April 17, 1907, on the family farm southeast of Glenwood, to Charles William Burson and Lela Blanche (Mayberry) Burson.  She was the middle child of two brothers and four sisters and attended Hawthorne School in Mills County.  In 1926, she met Cecil Greedy and on Dec. 4, 1927, they were married in Riverton at the Methodist parsonage.

    Mr. and Mrs. Greedy made their farm homestead just over four miles east and north of Sidney.  She was a member of the Sidney United Methodist Church, active in many church groups and the Homemaker’s Club.  She liked to play bridge, enjoyed poetry and taking trips with her sisters on the bus, airplane and train.  She enjoyed getting together for the yearly birthday party with her sisters (also known as the Golden Girls).  They would eat and play cards almost all night and have a wonderful time.

    Mrs. Greedy always talked about the good times on the farm which her husband and sons farmed.  Mr. Greedy built their house with the help of his brothers and brothers-in-law.  It was a time when all the Greedy’s lived on the same road known as Greedyville.  She talked about how the women would help each other out, especially when she found out she was having twins.  Dale and Gale, the twin boys, were born on Oct. 3, 1933.  They also had a daughter, Norma Blanche who died Feb. 2, 1933, at six months old.

    She was a hard working farm lady that kept her house spotless and cooked for all the hired hands.  She planted a huge garden every year, raised chickens and dressed them out.  She always canned everything out of her garden that she could and had a full cellar during the winter months.  She also had a beautiful flower garden with flowers of all kinds.  Not only did she do all of that, but she also loved to help work on the farm.  She told of driving a straight truck to Tabor to pick up the World War II prisoners of war to come out and work on the farm. Unfortunately, Mr. Greedy died at a young age leaving her and the twins to run it.

    Mrs. Greedy loved her large family gatherings, where there was always fun and laughter.  She would cook large meals for everyone especially on the holidays. She talked of how her nephews would come and stay at the farm whenever they could, she enjoyed them.  She loved spending time with her grandkids teaching them special songs and how to yodel. She was very good at it.

    In 1971, 10 years after her husband’s death, she and the twins sold the farm and she moved to Shenandoah, where she was employed at Berning Café for 22 years retiring in 1983.  She loved her work there and the people.  She enjoyed her trips with her sisters, her flower garden, popcorn, peanuts, chocolate and homemade bread.  Her family has always been the most important thing in her life.  She cherished her sons and daughters-in-law and especially her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren whom she adored and got to spend time with.  She has left the family with a wonderful legacy of memories and will be greatly missed.

    Mrs. Greedy was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Cecil; daughter, Norma Blanche; two brothers, Charles and Dent Burson; and two sisters, Laura Gaylord; and Amber Kempton.  She is survived by sons, Dale Greedy and wife Sharon; and Gale Greedy and wife Doris all of Sidney; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Freda Cape of Glenwood; and June Harris of Omaha; numerous nieces, nephews, many other relatives and friends.

    Memorials are suggested to the Sidney United Methodist Church.  The Crawford-Marshall Funeral Chapel in Sidney was in charge of arrangements.