Hazel Fredrickson, 98, who, along with her sister, was a longtime owner of a Wisconsin bait shop frequented by many Chicagoland tourists, died Saturday in Phelps, Wis. Ms. Fredrickson and her sister, Edith, who died last year, ran Fredrickson’s Bait Shop in Star Lake from 1935 until 1998. The two were a fixture in the small town, which saw a brief boon with a lumber company in the early part of the century. After the lumber company closed, the town became a summer destination for city dwellers. Many of those visitors stopped at the bait shop, not just for the necessary fishing equipment but also to see the popular ladies. “A lot of people who weren’t fishing, if they knew them once, stopped by to visit,” said longtime friend Bud Rismon, 81, a resident of nearby Eagle River who was baby-sat by Ms. Hazel Fredrickson. The bait shop was in a converted railroad car on the shore of Star Lake. An effort is now underway to preserve the shop. There were no immediate survivors. Services will be held Friday in Eagle River.
