John David Hazelett, age 78, of Ainsworth, IA, died peacefully on Thursday May 20, 2021, at Halcyon House in Washington.
Celebration of life services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, 2021 at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home in Washington with Pastor Jason Collier officiating. Calling hours will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Friday May 28, 2021 at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Friday evening. Interment will be held at Oregon Township Cemetery in Ainsworth. In lieu of flowers, a general memorial has been established. Online condolences may be sent for John's family through the web at www.jonesfh.com .
John was born November 4, 1942, at his parents' home on Smokey Row in Ainsworth, Iowa, the son of Hugh Daniel and Pauline (Jolly) Hazelett. He graduated from Ainsworth High School in 1960 and was united in marriage to Susan JoAnn Jones at Cotter Presbyterian Church on October 28, 1967.
John worked at his father's D-X station in Ainsworth pumping gas and working on cars after high school. In 1965, John began driving a truck for John Bell in Columbus Junction, IA, hauling livestock from local farms to the Chicago Stockyards and surrounding packing plants. In 1967, John started buying hogs in Ainsworth for Dubuque Packing Company and established his own livestock trucking business, John Hazelett, Inc. He stopped buying hogs in 1993 but continued trucking livestock and grain until his retirement in 2009.
John was a member of the Kaaba Shriners and Masonic lodge. He served on the Ainsworth City Council and as Mayor for many years. John also volunteered for the Ainsworth Fire Department. He enjoyed trucking, attending classic car and truck shows, reading car magazines and vacationing in the summer with his family. John could be found tinkering and fixing cars and trucks in his truck shed or chatting with friends and acquaintances at the oil station in Ainsworth. He spent time watching his favorite TV shows which included The Andy Griffith show and Johnny Carson. John also enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and attending their activities. He developed many friendships as a result of his integrity and honesty throughout the years he spent in the hog buying and trucking business.
He will be missed by his sons: Jared (Amanda) Hazelett of Cedar Rapids, Joel (Angela) Hazelett of Ainsworth, and Jon (Kelly) Hazelett of Riverside; sisters, Maria (Ken) Hazen of Marshalltown, IA and Marcia (Dan) Boyer of Santa Barbara, CA; grandchildren: Halle, Bryce, Brena, Olivia and Brant; brother-in-law, Craig (Judy) Jones of West Liberty; and nieces and nephews: Hugh Daniel Hazelett IV, Janette Hazelett, Bart Hazen, Ben Hazen, Brad Jones, Ryan Jones, Cami Jones and Daniel Boyer.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Susan; brother, Hugh Daniel "Dan" Hazelett; parents-in-law, Russell and Gwen Jones; and brother-in-law, Terry Jones.