Hazel Marie's Celebrates Birthday Of Its Namesake Baby

PLAINFIELD, IL — A beautiful baby girl came into this world on June 14 last year. Unbeknownst to her, the universe was conspiring to orchestrate a heartwarming encounter between two families, connected because of their shared love for her name.

13-month-old Hazel Marie Bernal lives on the border of Plainfield and Romeoville, in the Lakewood Falls subdivision, with her family. Every time people heard of her name, they were convinced she was named after one of Plainfield's most popular ice cream stores, Hazel's mother Rebecca said.

"We live 2.7 miles away from the store, and we had only heard of it after we decided on our daughter’s name," she said. "When we told people, we had never been there, they were shocked. How could anyone live so close to Plainfield and not visit this yummy landmark? We had no idea what we were missing."

Located at 24030 W. Lockport St., Hazel Marie's ice cream has been a popular spot in the community since 2017. However, Rebecca's inspiration for her baby's name is deeply rooted in her family history.

Growing up, she used to visit her uncle’s farmhouse in Ohio, losing herself in the assortment of old family pictures on display.

"There was one picture I always admired and felt connected to. It was my great grandma Hazel," she said. "The picture was taken at the turn of the century. What continued to draw me to it was its simplicity. In this picture, there were no embellishments. Just a girl with a big bow."

When she and her husband found out they were having a girl, they agreed Hazel was the perfect name.

"We decided on Marie, as that is my middle name. Hazel Marie also has the same initials as my husband, whose name is Henry Manuel Bernal," Rebecca said.

Once Hazel's family learned of the ice cream store, Rebecca emailed its owner, Tammy Barvian, informing her "we also had a Hazel Marie in our family." She randomly picked June 4 to establish this contact, but coincidentally, it turned out to be the date on which Barvian's grandmother — also named Hazel Marie — would have celebrated her hundredth birthday.

"Tammy said she had tears in her eyes and it warmed her heart to hear about our daughter," Rebecca said. "I thought that was such a sweet term of endearment. I asked her if we could meet her to introduce our daughter. Tammy welcomed us with open arms."

The Bernals usually celebrate their children's birthdays with big family parties, but due to the ongoing pandemic, their options were limited. They ended up having a smaller, socially-distanced gathering in the backyard, and even though it was not "what we initially envisioned, it ended up being such a special evening for Hazel. In retrospect, it was very simple, yet perfect," Rebecca said.

The next morning, Henry and Rebecca took Hazel to her namesake ice cream store.

"Tammy was so sweet to allow us to come before the store opened to meet her and tour the ice-cream shop," Rebecca said. "In addition, Tammy told us about her grandma, which was endearing. It was a very special encounter."

Barvian said she has a few customers that have the same name, and all of them are under 5 years old.

"I enjoyed meeting Hazel. She is incredibly cute," she said. "One of our goals at Hazel Marie's is for it to be a fun-filled experience for everyone and that ice cream is fun and fixes everything. It seemed like a natural fit for us to share in her birthday celebration."

Rebecca said Hazel felt "right at home" in the store. She thinks the pandemic has reminded everyone not to take anything for granted. Barvian's gesture was a testament to the strength of the community, and its ability to "embrace new encounters."

"For Tammy to welcome us, especially in the middle of a pandemic, was truly appreciated," she said. "Hazel’s birthday was not how it was initially planned, yet it turned out perfect. Maybe some of my great grandma’s simplicity is rubbing off on us."

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