Linn County News
Published May 10, 2017
Douglas Blaine Hazelbaker, age 51, a resident of rural Redfield, passed away early Monday, May 1, 2017, at the Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott. Doug was born May 31, 1965, to Alice and Norman Hazelbaker.
He and his wife, Jana, were married on Aug. 17, 2002, and are the parents of daughters Dylan and Dakota.
In 1983, he graduated from Uniontown High School. While in high school, he competed in the Kansas State High School Rodeo Assoc., and he was the state champion in both calf roping and steer wrestling, and the Reserve All-Around cowboy his senior year. While attending Allen County Community College and Northwestern Oklahoma State University, he competed in both calf roping and steer wrestling, and earned a bachelor’s degree in education.
Doug began his teaching career as a fourth-grade teacher and was teaching middle school math at Jayhawk-Linn in Mound City, where he touched the lives of many young people and worked with wonderful friends over the past 25 years.
His passion for calf roping extended well beyond college, and he logged many miles from rodeo to rodeo building great friendships over the years. Some of his accomplishments in calf roping include IPRA rookie of the year, Great Lakes PRCA circuit finals contestant, Cheyenne Frontier Days performance qualifier and IFR qualifier in 1991. In 2016, he qualified for the Interstates Rodeo Assoc. finals, and Dylan wears his jacket from that association. He also competed in the United Rodeo Association for many years, and in the year-end finals for 2016 finished fifth overall in the over 40 calf roping. Dakota is honored to wear his URA jacket, and Dylan proudly wears the belt buckle he won.
Survivors include his wife Jana and daughters Dylan and Dakota of the home; parents Norman and Alice Hazelbaker, Redfield, Kan.; a sister, Carol Camac and husband Joe, Augusta, Kan.; a brother, Mike Hazelbaker and wife Susan, Alma, Kan.; and nieces and nephews Cole, Travis and Lucas Camac, Cole Fowles, Cassidy Anderson, Quincy and Emma Charleston, and Cooper, Colton and Canyon Charleston.
Cowboy Preacher Marty Brock conducted memorial services Friday, May 5, at the Fort Scott Fairgrounds Arena.
In lieu of flowers, the family strongly suggested memorials to the Hazelbaker Girls’ Scholarship Fund, which may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com. The family had asked for any special memory or story of Doug to be brought to the service or mailed to Jana Hazelbaker, 1311 Hwy. 54, Redfield, KS 66769. These memories will be used to compile a scrapbook for Dylan and Dakota.
OBITUARIES
Norma Jeanne (Riley) Long ~ 08-21-1938 to 10-13-2025

Linn County News Published October 22, 2025 Norma Jeanne (Riley) Long, age 87, of La Cygne, Kan., passed away Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, at Vintage Park in Osawatomie, Kan., surrounded by family. Norma was born on Aug. 21, 1938, in Liberal, Kan., to Frederick and... [More]
Geneva Darlene Jennings ~ 11-15-1939 to 10-12-2025

Linn County News Published October 15, 2025 Geneva Darlene Jennings, age 85, Pleasanton, Kan., passed away Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. She was born on Nov. 15, 1939, at Trading Post, Kan., the daughter of Charles and Daisy Rittinghouse Purdy. She graduated from Pleasanton High... [More]
Mary Margaret Wilson ~ 01-08-1930 to 10-13-2025

Linn County News Published October 15, 2025 Mary Margaret Wilson of Mound City, Kan., age 95, was called home to be with the Lord Oct. 13, 2025. She resided at the Anew Healthcare facility in Pleasanton, Kan. She was born in La Cygne, Kan., to Edwin Josheph Riley and Eva... [More]
More Obituaries
- Letha Spillman ~ 06-19-1929 to 10-02-2025
- Mary Alice Fagg ~ 07-30-1933 to 09-25-2025
- John T. Miles ~ 01-29-1960 to 05-01-2025
- Paul David Hamilton ~ 11-07-1950 to 09-23-2025
- Lora Lynn West ~ 10-22-1959 to 09-24-2025
- Lois Ann Simons ~ 11-12-1937 to 09-27-2025
- Betty Joan Haupt ~ 10-03-1931 to 09-29-2025
- Carolyn Lee Wilson Dunlop ~ 12-15-1944 to 09-27-2025
NEWS
Souza resigns county clerk post

Linn County’s county clerk is resigning. At the weekly Linn County Commission meeting Tuesday morning, delayed a day because of Monday’s governmental Columbus Day holiday, Danielle Souza spoke during the public comment agenda section of her intention to resign the... [More]
Farmers State Bank under new ownership

Time moves on and things change – and the banking world is not exempt from those changes. When Farmers State Bank owner Dale Sprague passed away in August of 2024, his wife Janice and family made those changes when they sold the three banks this fall to Citizen Bank owner’s... [More]
Linn Valley council updated on water, lagoon projects

Linn Valley city council held its first meeting of the month on Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Mayor Lewis Donelson began the meeting by asking city employees present at the meeting to stand up front and introduce themselves and state their job title. The mayor continued by... [More]
More News
- Suit filed in Sunshine Meadows building permit case
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- La Cygne awards lift station bid
- Appraiser’s office announces completion of review
- SPECIAL: KBI conducts statewide marijuana enforcement operation
- Pleasanton council vetoed on fire volunteer appointments
- Kansas Policy Institute talks property taxes with legislature
- Pleasanton city candidate forum Oct. 6
SPORTS
Schneider makes State for Hawks in girls’ golf

Celeste Schneider made the 3-1A State golf tournament again this year for the Lady Hawks and will be looking to earn another State medal. To see the full article, check out this week's edition of the Linn County News or check out the online version here.
Wade and Britz advance to State for the Buffalos

The Prairie View girls’ golf team is doing well. The girls won the Pioneer League championship at Deer Trace on Oct. 7 and then followed that up by placing fourth at 3-1A Sub-State tournament at Crestwood in Pittsburg on Oct. 13. The Lady Buffs won the league tournament... [More]
Blu-Jays convert takeaways into Homecoming win

Pleasanton converted two second-quarter fumble recoveries and a third-quarter interception into passing touchdowns to break a three-game losing skid and claim a 41-6 Homecoming win over Southeast-Cherokee Friday at Blu-Jay Nation Stadium. The victory moves the ‘Jays’... [More]
More Sports
- Lady Jays host league triangular and competes at Uniontown
- Jayhawk volleyball has a busy successful week
- Jayhawk football wins thriller over Pleasanton on Homecoming
- Prairie View football dominates Burlington on Homecoming
- Pleasanton volleyball travels to Arma and Prairie View
- Jayhawk volleyball goes 4-0 on the week
- Pleasanton volleyball competes at Yates Center and Humboldt
- Prairie View football picks up a big win against Wellsville
OBITUARIES POLICY
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Call Barbara at 913-352-6235 or e-mail linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com
