Hazel Belk

Obituary: Hazel Brown Belk, age 94, passed away on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at her home. She was born May 16, 1922 in Danville, VA, the daughter of the late Smith Wesley Brown and Grace Virginia Martin Brown. Hazel moved to Kannapolis when she was three months old. She married her husband, the late Warren Franklin Belk on December 15, 1945. Hazel honed her secretarial skills by taking courses at the former North State Business College. In her earlier years she worked for several finance companies. Later, she retired in 1983 from the Cannon Memorial YMCA where she worked as a secretary in the women's department for twenty years. Hazel taught Sunday school at First Baptist Church, Kannapolis, NC for fifty-four years in the children's department. She also did plenty of cooking, reading, sewing, and entertaining through the years for her friends. Her cooking interests included cooking "brownies" and taking them to her physicians when she had appointments. She also won the grand prize from the former Daily Independent newspaper in their Christmas recipe contest for making her special "Japanese Fruitcake" recipe. Hazel was very proud of her accomplishments as a poet by publishing her first book, "Poems of Hope, Inspiration, and Power." It included thirty-nine poems which also included her strong Christian values and took her nine months to finish. She wrote her first poem sixty-four years ago. In addition to her parents she is preceded in death by her husband, Warren F. Belk; and siblings, Mary Walter, Romaine Gribble, J.C. Brown, Imogene Francis, and Kathleen Hall. A graveside service to celebrate her life will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, May 12, 2017 at Carolina Memorial Park, Kannapolis, NC officiated by Rev. Norman Brisson. Survivors include her son, Larry Belk & wife, Ana of Kannapolis, NC; five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, c/o Building Fund, 101 N. Main Street, Kannapolis, NC 28081 or Cabarrus County Transportation Service, 1303 S. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis, NC 28083. On-line condolences may be left at www.whitleysfuneralhome.com, Kannapolis, NC, who is serving the family.
Visitation: --

Service: Graveside 11:00 A.M. Friday, May 12, 2017 Carolina Memorial Park

Interment: Carolina Memorial Park Kannapolis, N.C.