Hazel Biggs Palmer (1889-1960) was part of a multi-generational family of taxidermists with a love for natural history and education. Hazel and her sister Olive were trained in taxidermy by their father, Oliver S. Biggs (1861-1947). He had been taught in turn by his own mother. Hazel eventually became a professional taxidermist.
The Biggs family had a natural history museum in the attic of their home in San Jose, Illinois. School groups and scout packs from the area had regular field trips to the house. After Oliver Biggs passed away, Hazel took over the family practice.
In addition to her taxidermy skills, she was knowledgeable about the natural history of the animals and she maintained a library of information on nature and wildlife, using this information in presentations she gave to visiting school groups.
Hazel eventually built a free-standing museum to house the growing collection. The Oliver S. Biggs Museum of Natural History was dedicated in 1954. Hazel ultimately donated the museum to the San Jose school system. Hazel ran the museum for the remainder of her life, passing down her passion for taxidermy and museums to her granddaughters, Audrey and Marizelda Ames. Marizelda in particular enjoyed collecting and preparing insects.
When Hazel passed away in 1960, Marizelda became the curator of the museum at age 15, filling the role for a few years. The San Jose school system continued using the museum in classes for many years, eventually donating the collection to the Illinois State Museum in 1989.
Today, these specimens are often used in public programs and seen on school tours. Many are also of historic value due to their age and use for documenting species in central Illinois.
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