Hazel Jane (Kirchhoff) Kingery (85) of Effingham

Hazel Jane (Kirchhoff) Kingery, 85, of Effingham, passed away in her home, surrounded by her family at 4:18 a.m. on Sunday, June 5, 2022.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oak Ridge Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois Charitable Fund & Scholarship Program, and First Christian Church, Effingham. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here.

Hazel was born in Altamont, IL, on September 22, 1936, the first daughter of four girls, to Herman and Geneva (Adams) Kirchhoff. Hazel began school in Altamont, before a move to a farm just outside of Edgewood in 2nd grade. She attended Effingham High School, graduating in 1954. EHS is also where she met her lifelong love, Dallas, on a basketball fan bus heading to the Salem Christmas Tournament. Hazel went on to graduate as an R.N., from Decatur, Macon County, School of Nursing in 1957. She married Dallas Eugene Kingery on September 21st, 1957. Hazel was a doting mother who adored her four children: her boys, Todd, Scott and Brett and her daughter, Melanie. She was a caring nurse, who worked for seven different doctors, all in private practice, retiring in 1992 after 35 years of caring for patients. Hazel was a founding member of the Effingham County Genealogical & Historical Society. She was also a member of First Christian Church and (the former) Effingham County Professional Nurses Association. Hazel loved travel, making it to 49 states and several countries. Her favorite thing to do was journaling details of each stop along the way. It was an endearing trait but made it tough to win an argument on specifics! Later in life Hazel discovered an affinity for word searches and used that to keep her mind sharp. Her grandchildren all knew her to be a compassionate listener, and no family meal was ever started without grace being said by Grandpa Dallas, followed closely by Grandma Hazel’s favorite ending of “Let’s eat!”

Hazel is survived by her husband, Dallas Kingery; children, Todd (Tina) Kingery of Edgewood and Brett (Stef) Kingery of Effingham; grandchildren, Dannielle (Kyle) Harden of Effingham, Rob (Laynn) Kingery of Murphysboro, Alexis Kingery of Los Angeles, CA, and Oliver Kingery of Chicago; great-grandchildren, Juliana Harden and Kalli Harden; and sisters, Joyce Stibal and Nancy Kirchhoff both of Tennessee.

She was preceded in death by her father, Herman; mother, Geneva; sister, Loleta Brown; infant daughter, Melanie Beth; and son, Scott Alan.

The family would like to thank Dr. Dy & Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois for their expertise and care as well as HSHS St. Anthony’s Hospice (Diann, Ashley, Tiffany & Jill) for their compassionate help.

“She has flown.”