Hazel Squires

Nellie Hazel Greer Squires was born Dec. 19, 1937, on Greer Road in Forest, Mississippi. She died Jan. 7, 2026, at The Beehive in Forest, surrounded by the love of her children.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 10th at Ott and Lee Funeral Home beginning at 11am. Funeral services will commence in the Ott and Lee Chapel at 2pm, to be officiated by Bro. Chris Harrison. A private graveside service will be held on Sunday, January 11th at Ephesus Baptist Church, where she will be laid to rest beside her husband, Dennis.

She married Dennis Squires in 1955 after a whirlwind three-week romance. They were married for more than 67 years, until his death in 2022. They raised their five children in a home full of love, laughter and a windmill in the backyard. Dennis’ humor was intentional. Hazel was funny without trying. Her facial expressions rivaled Lucy’s. There was rarely any doubt about what she was thinking. Her reaction to life was, in itself, funny. She always joined in the laughter — often at her own expense.

In the butterbean patch, she could outpick any of her children, a skill she credited to her childhood cotton-picking days on Greer Road. She attended Ringgold High School just outside Forest and was, for most of her life, a member of Ephesus Baptist Church in the Ringgold community. She cooked breakfast most mornings for her family. It was a raucous house, but in the rare quiet moments before children woke and biscuits baked, she studied her Bible. She taught Sunday School for most of her adult life. She ruled the roost at home, and on Sunday mornings she was known for having the meanest look of any soprano in the choir loft — with nothing more than the lift of an eyebrow, she was able to keep five young children sitting straight and flying right for the duration of the church service.

A talented seamstress, she made most of her children’s clothes and used the scraps to make matching clothes for the dolls of her four daughters. For decades, she put her sewing skills to use quilting. She called herself one of the “straw bosses” of Ephesus’ prolific quilting bee, where she spent her Tuesdays helping to lead the group as they pieced and quilted beautiful works of art for the church’s annual fundraiser. She made multiple quilts for her five children, 10 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, as well as for nieces, nephews and friends. One of her most treasured legacies lives in a quilt top she created by quietly asking each member of her large family if she could trace their hand. She stitched and labeled quilt squares of each hand — a family held together, quite literally, by her work.

For years, she kept children in her home while attending nursing school at night. She graduated with her nursing degree in 1969 and worked in many settings before finding her true calling at Lackey Convalescent Home in Forest, where she cared for residents and shared her Christian faith. Her life was one of faith, service and steady love — stitched together in ways that will continue to warm her family for generations.

Hazel was preceded in death by her parents, Natie Grover Grannison Greer and Mattie Wilmirth Sephton Greer, her siblings, Alline Benton (Kent), Preston Greer (Stella), Andrew Greer (Cassie), Herman Greer (Grace), Cpl. Leslie Franklin Greer, Helen Russell Conn (Paul). Billy Joe Greer and Mack Greer.

She is survived by her sister, Nelda Greer Risher, Olive Branch and her sister-in-law Doris Greer, Forest; her five children, Vicki (Darryl) Taylor, Lake; Ronda (Bill) Holden, Puckett; Alan Squires, Vicksburg; Cheryl McNeil, Brandon and Gina (Steve) Mangum, Morton.

Her ten grandchildren, Mark (Julie) Taylor, Flowood; Jeremy Taylor (Lake); Trey (Casey) McNeil, New York City; Lee (Brandi) Mangum, Morton; Erin (Ben) Zieren, Flowood; Amanda (Justin) Miles, Lake; Teri (Evan) Wolf, Chaparral, New Mexico; Greg (Casey) Mangum, Morton; Cole (Kandace) McNeil, Madison; Evan (Morgan) Mangum, Morton.

Her 20 great-grandchildren, Shannon Taylor, Rheagan Taylor, Riley Taylor, Lillianna Taylor, Ellie Taylor, Holden Wolf, Sarah Wolf, Cullen Zieren, Mary Zieren, Maggie McNeil, Emma McNeil, Layson McNeil, Carter McNeil; Kenzi Mangum, Haylee Brook Mangum, Presley Mangum, Peyton Mangum, Marleigh Grayce Mangum, Parker Mangum, Leighton Mangum and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Pallbearers are Mark Taylor, Jeremy Taylor, Trey McNeil, Cole McNeil, Lee Mangum and Greg Mangum.

Honorary pallbearers are Darryl Taylor, Bill Holden, and Steve Mangum.

The family encourages those wishing to remember her to make contributions to Ephesus Baptist Church’s Lottie Moon Fund in memory of Hazel Squires: Ephesus Baptist Church, 3535 Ephesus Road, Forest, Mississippi 39074.