ONAGA – Hazel F. Fairbanks Corcoran Wyss, 103, of Onaga, passed away on Sunday, June 2, 2024 at Onaga Health and Rehabilitation Center.
She was born February 5, 1921 on the family farm home, located five miles south of Onaga. She was the fifth child of Clarence Alphus and Violet Lavina Grossnickle Fairbanks.
Hazel attended a one room schoolhouse, Vienna Grade School, and graduated from Onaga High School in 1938.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church since 1949. She accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior of her life during Bible School and was baptized by Rev. Earl Caryl. She served as Treasurer for 50 years, Sunday School Teacher, DVBS leader and teacher. She has remained a member of the First Baptist Church for over sixty years.
She used her God-given talent of singing since the early age of five, singing at family reunions, church, Eastern Star, High School Trio and many, many funeral services.
She was a life member of the Auxiliary of Disabled Veterans, and member and President of Victory 4-H Club. She was a receptionist for Dr. Fleckenstein and Dr. Walsh for several years, a supervisor at Slimmaker and Fashion Maker dress factories in Holton, and Onaga, a day care provider, and was City Clerk for twenty years.
In the later years of her life, she was President of the Site Council and Treasurer of the Onaga Senior Center. Hazel was also a board member of the Onaga Housing Authority at Prairie View Apartments.
She married Lawrence Orman Corcoran, they were blessed with three children. She became a single mom and took parenthood seriously. Dick & Sadie Marten helped raise her children in their early years.
On October 12, 1958 she married Robert C. “Bob” Wyss and added five more children to her family. Hazel’s greatest occupation in life was wife and mother. She was grandmother to twenty-three children, great grandmother to seven and great-great grandmother to five.
Through the years, Hazel was blessed by exceptionally good health and a loving heart. She was the caregiver for a number of family members. Her last efforts were given to her husband, Bob, in their home. The last few years he spent in a wheel chair and basically could not talk, but one word he could speak was “Hazel”.
Those preceding her in death are her parents, husband, Bob, of forty-six years, brothers, Lynn Fairbanks and Douglas Fairbanks, sisters, Sadie Marten, Lucille Bell and Dorothy Seybold, her son L. J. Corcoran, sons-in-law, Art Hay and John Harris, daughters, Linda Harris and Rita Hay, and a great grandson, Proinsas Hay.
Those remaining are sons K.C. (Jean) Corcoran, Monty (RoseMarie) Wyss, Gary (Marilyn) Wyss, and Jim (Jodie) Wyss, daughter, Carla (Ray) Hickman, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 7th at New Hope Lutheran Church in Onaga, (the former First Baptist Church). Burial will follow in the Onaga Cemetery. Hazel will lie in state after 9:00 a.m. Thursday at the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Onaga, where visitation will be held from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the Onaga Senior Center or the Onaga Historical Society, and may be sent in care of the funeral home, PO Box 312, Onaga, KS 66521.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Hazel on Saturday, June 15th at 1:00 at the Onaga Senior Center.
“Don’t mind going – I’ll leave a little bit of me.”
Remember the 103 years I’ve lived and touched your lives. Don’t be sad over this one day, my death. I’ll see you again.
