FREEPORT — Donna M. Hazlip, 85, of Freeport passed away on Jan. 4 at Pearl Pavilion in Freeport. She was born Oct. 2, 1937 at KSB Hospital in Dixon to Lee and Goldie (Anderson) Feary.  

Her mother Goldie passed away when Donna was two days old. Donna only weighed two pounds and was in the hospital for several months. Unable to take care of a newborn baby, her father asked his cousin, Elsie Feary Hardesty if she would take Donna. She was raised by Ira and Elsie Hardesty. She attended school in Mt. Morris, graduated from Polo High School and received a bachelor degree in business, worked in the Chicago area for several years and then came back to Ogle County and was a press secretary for the Ogle County Newspapers until her retirement.  She was united with Marion “Gene “Hazlip Oct. 28, 1967 and they celebrated 50 years of marriage before his passing a year later.

Survivors include foster sister Eleanor Hardesty Stouffer, Nieces Sharon (Ronald) Baker, Alicia (Charles) Hays, Valerie Collins and Vici Wigger, nephews David Stouffer, Lon Feary, Joe Sieffert and many great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene, parents Lee and Goldie Feary, foster parents Ira and Elsie (Feary) Hardesty, sister Dorothy Siefert and brother Ronald Feary. As per Donna’s wishes, there will be no services. Cremation rites have been accorded.