Funeral for Hazel Evelyn Morrell Wahl will be Wednesday, February 25, at 11 a.m. at Roselawn Funeral Home. The family will receive friends tonight from 6 to 8 and Wednesday from 10:30 11 a.m. at Roselawn.
Mrs. Wahl was born on December 7, 1923, to Hattie Miller Morrell and Robert Earl Morrell. She is predeceased by her parents and siblings, Robert F. Morrell, Ruth Morrell Peoples and Elizabeth Morrell Inscho Smith; and husband, William F. “Bill” or “Ike” Wahl.
Mrs. Wahl grew up in Bluff City, Tenn. She earned a bachelor’s degree with highest honors in English and journalism in 1944 from King College in Bristol, Tenn. She earned her degree while working almost full-time for the local hospital. Mrs. Wahl also took classes towards a master’s degree at Vanderbilt University. After college, Mrs. Wahl joined her sister in Nashville, where she took a job working for the Mead Corp. In Nashville, she met William Francis “Bill” Wahl who lived across the street from her boarding house. They married on June 23, 1945.
The Wahls lived in Decatur from 1951 to 1952, moved back to Nashville, and then returned to Decatur permanently in 1960. Mrs. Wahl served as a Sunday school teacher, Training Union leader, Girl Scout leader and volunteer for other community, church and school activities.
Mrs. Wahl worked for THE DECATUR DAILY for 21 years, beginning as a proofreader and eventually moving to copy editor and occasionally writing feature stories.
She had a broad range of interests, including cooking, painting, golf, reading, and sewing, and she also wrote poetry and children’s stories. She and her husband restored an antique pump organ and she taught herself to play it.
Mr. and Mrs. Wahl were married for 67 years, until his death in 2012.
Mrs. Wahl is survived by her daughters, Francine Wahl Johnson (Edward Lee); Cathy Wahl Tackett (Jack); and son, Michael Robert Wahl (Cathy); grandchildren, Mandy Johnson Heller (Court) of Huntsville; Missy Johnson George (Mark) of Knoxville, Tenn.; Bill Johnson (Becca) of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Bill Turk of Atlanta, Ga.; Molly Wahl Davis (James) of Decatur; and Robbie Wahl (Nikki) of Pelham; and great-grandchildren, Andrew Johnson, Emily Johnson, Kirby Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Ryan Davis, Lucy Davis and Cate Wahl.
Donations in Mrs. Wahl’s memory may be made to Meals on Wheels, 1909 Central Parkway SW, Decatur AL 35601 or Hospice of the Valley Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 2745, Decatur AL 35602.
