After graduating from PHS in 1962, Ann Meyer Hazelwood continued her education at Patricia Stevens Modeling and Business School in St. Louis. In 1964, she married Joel Watkins and had two sons, Joel and Jason.
In 1970, they moved to St. Charles where she started a home-based business called Patches Etc., which in 1979 became a brick and mortar store on historic Main Street in St. Charles. Eventually, it developed into three shops — Patches Quilt Shop, Patches Craft Center and Patches Button Shoppe.
Due to early restoration efforts in St. Charles, she became active with not only restoring their circa 1858 house, but other preservation efforts in the area. She was a charter member and president of the South Main Preservation Society for which she earned the Sacajawea Award.
The success of Patches Etc. was recognized by Better Homes and Gardens as one of the 10 best quilt shops in America. In 1988 the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce honored her as its Small Business Person of the Year and she was a state finalist for that award the following year. In 1998, the City of St. Charles recognized her as Retailer of the Year and in 2000 the Chamber of Commerce presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mrs. Hazelwood was one of the first to receive certification for appraising quilts by the American Quilting Society. As an authority on quilts and textiles, she has written for quilting magazines and newsletters. She has taught quilt-appraising classes and was on the certification committee. She served on the board of the National Quilt Museum located in Paducah, Ky., and later became board president.
In 1999, she married Keith Hazelwood, a local attorney. She now has two sons, two stepsons, and four grandchildren.
In 2008, she sold her business to devote more time to travel and writing. She has authored eight Missouri travel books with local publishers. She has written a column called “A Missouri Mile With Ann Hazelwood” for a local magazine. She has written three successful fiction series, a total of 14 novels for American Quilt Society Publishing, with more on the way.
Throughout her life, Hazelwood has remained active on many civic boards and commissions with particular interest in economic development, which allowed her to serve on both the city and county economic development committees. Serving on the Greater St. Charles and Visitors Bureau is a way she can continue her support for the historic area that she loves.
Her high school activities included four years of band, the Silver Dagger Dramatic Club and Future Homemakers of America. Her senior year she was on the Tuba Yearbook staff and also the Pirate Puns staff. Hazelwood credited librarian Forest Thilenius and Robert Heflin, who taught English and journalism, as the PHS teachers who had the most influence. She said, “They both understood and encouraged me, seeing something within me that I didn't know was there.”