Katherine Angele Hazelbaker

Katherine Angele Hazelbaker of Grangeville passed away Monday, May 31, 2021, at Hospice of North Idaho in Coeur d’Alene. She died from complications resulting from a pedestrian/auto collision on May 11 in Grange-ville. She was 91 years of age.

Angele was born June 5, 1929, south of Grangeville on the “Guernsey Farm” where her parents, Ray R. and Flo I. Kidder, were employed by John Spencer. She was the youngest of four siblings including Jesse R., Kenneth K. and Eileen L. After her third grade year, the family bought a small ranch 4 miles east of Harpster. She rode horseback to the historic Harpster schoolhouse through grade school. She graduated from Stites High School in 1947; the same year she was a princess in the Border Days celebration.

Angele worked as a telephone operator in Grangeville for three years prior to marrying Burt Hazelbaker in 1950. The couple spent lots of weekends in the Buffalo Hump and Gospels area fishing high altitude lakes and car camping. They were blessed with two children in the next four years, Nick and Lark. Then in 1960 she went back to work for the telephone company until the dial system became operational in 1963. Soon after she started her career in dentistry as an office manager and dental assistant for Dr. John Rickett, DDS. Her retirement came in 1991 after 27 years of brightening that office.

The Kidder family was very musical, encouraging and practicing at most family gatherings. Angele was a piano player and naturally talented singer. Starting in 1966, she and her siblings began playing music to entertain residents at three nursing homes and two assisted living facilities in town. She and her sister Eileen were often asked to sing for special occasions. They recorded two CDs of old-time country and gospel music under the name, “Kidder Sisters.” After retirement, she and Burt pulled their camp trailer to musical gatherings and jammed mandolin and guitar around lots of campfires in Idaho and Montana.

Angele was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church, which later became the Centennial Evangelical Free Church where she served as a deaconess, Sunday school teacher, choir member and devoted attendee of the “Encouragers.” She knew the Lord and wanted everyone else to as well.

She is survived at home in Grangeville by her husband of 71 years, Burt; two children, Nick (Norma Staaf) and Lark (Dick Hall); two grandchildren, Chelsey and Brandon (Amy) Hall; three great-grandchildren, Quinn, Emma and Piper Hall; brothers-in-law Melvin Gribble and Robert Hazelbaker as well as numerous nieces and nephews. There was never an empty plate in her home, and she always stood at the door to wave goodbye to visitors. Words just do not justify the depth of her love.

The family appreciates the outpouring of love through prayers, visits, calls, cards, pet-sitting, and meals from so many people, too many to name individually but thank you so much.

Cremation has taken place and a celebration of life is planned and will be announced at a later date. Services are under the direction of Blackmer Funeral Home. Send condolences to the family at blackmerfuneralhome.com.