My Great-Great-Grandfather

Posted on October 14, 2026

My brother, Michael, and my father’s father, Nathaniel Wilbur Hassell, did genealogical research a number of years ago. My great-great-grandfather was John Adam Hazel, born July 6, 1841, and died March 3, 1916. The name is believed to be the correct name, though generally referred to as Adam. He lived in Centre County and lived in Axe Mann. He was married to Malinda Smith, who was born in August 1843 and died October 8, 1919, in Niagara, New York. Their son was Frank Benjamin Hassell, who was my second great-grandfather. He was born in 1878 in Pennsylvania. He married Ada Anderson, who was born on March 3, 1882, and died on October 31, 1969. Their son, Nathaniel Wilbur Hassell, my dad’s father, was born on October 16, 1902, and died on October 18, 1988. My grandfather Nathaniel Hassell married Alieth Fitts, born February 28, 1902, and died on September 14, 1981.

John Adam Hazel worked as a carpenter and Justice of the Peace for 19 years. His sisters were Mrs. Stewart Feck and Mrs. Mary Steele, and his brothers were George, John, James, and Edward. Post Office directories of Centre County for the years 1890, 1900, and 1910 indicated John Adams had three sons named Samuel, Franklin, and Harvey E.; three brothers-in-law, Wilson, Cornelius, and M. Frank; and two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Samuel White and Mrs. Adam Courter. Research done many years ago by my brother and my grandfather Nathaniel Hassell indicates burial in the Lutheran Cemetery at Pleasant Gap, PA. When this research was done, the grave had not been located according to a card file in the Centre County Historical Society Museum. The Cornelius family included Catherine, Adeline, Oliver, and Frank Herman Hazel of Bellefonte, PA. The grandson (through father Thomas Hazel with brother George) of Jared Hazel, another brother (along with a Samuel referred to in the 1890 Directory), all according to the Democratic Watchman Newspaper story of September 25, 1903, was about the Hazel-Shaffer reunion. Estate papers may be found in the Centre County Historical Museum; unknown who Jacob is at present; maybe son of Bernhart Hazel (most likely); maybe Bernhart’s brother Jacob, about whom little is known; maybe the Hazel family patriarch Jacob Hazel Sr. or perhaps none of the above (extremely unlikely).

There is a difference in last name spellings that were found (z, ss, s, and ll). The name “Hazel” we find spelled originally “Hassell,” the German word for Hazel. John Adam Hazel was a notable figure in Centre County, Pennsylvania, spanning much of the 19th century. Multiple genealogical sources identify him as a carpenter, Justice of the Peace, and Jury Commissioner in Miles Township.

Info and career

· Birth – March 27, 1814, in Miles Township, Centre County

· Death- June 18, 1877 (some records list March 1916 for a later John Adam Hazel, possibly a different branch)

· Occupations-carpenter, Justice of the Peace, Jury Commissioner for Centre County

· Political affiliation – Democrat

· Religion – Lutheran

· Family-Married Melinda Smith and had nine kids. John Adam Hazel was the son of Michael and Sara Shaffer, and they had nine children

o George Henry Hazel (1869-1947)

o Mary E. Hazel (1871-1951)

o Frank Benjamin Hassell (1878-1913) – he is my first great-grandfather

o John Michael Hazel (1873-1941)

o Samuel S. Hazel (1867-1906)

o James Mordeci Hazel (1875-1963)

o Harvey Edward Hazel (1879-unknown)

o Rosita M. Hazel (1863-1933)

o Stanley Hazel (1880-1957)

John Adam moved to the town of Axe Mann, where he worked as a carpenter and served in public office for 19 years. His family was part of the early Hazel settlement in the Brush Valley area with roots tracing back to German settlers in the late 18th century. John Adam is buried in the Lutheran and Reformed Cemetery in Madisonburg, PA. His grave has yet to be located by descendants.

Related Historical Context

The Hazel Family name in Centre County has deep roots, with earlier settlers such as Bernhart Hazel and Jacob Hazel appearing in land records from 1797. The name “Hazel” was originally spelled “Hassel” and was one of the first settlers in the region.