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Hazel Marion English Schlagel
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Keith & Keith Funeral Home
SELAH - Hazel Marion English Schlagel, age 97, died April 8, 2009 at her East Selah home.
She was born March 1, 1912 on a homestead near Culbertson, Montana to Frederick William English and Eureka Amanda (Applequist) English. The family left Montana when a hail storm took out their shoulder-high oat crop, arriving in Yakima by Overland car in 1920.
Hazel attended grade school at the Yakima Seventh-day Adventist School. She delighted in her teenage summers that were spent at Rimrock as her father worked as a logger clearing trees for the lake. She attended Yakima Valley Academy in Granger as well as Moxee High School.
She enrolled at St. Elizabeth School of Nursing at age 17 in 1929. She adored nursing, but some time during that year she met Gordon Schlagel. It was love at first sight and when he asked, she decided to marry him. Nursing students were not allowed to date or marry, so Hazel made the difficult decision to quit school after one year.
Hazel was married to Gordon Vern Schlagel August 26, 1930 at her parent's yard at Terrace Heights with Hazel wearing a beautiful white wedding dress purchased at Drapers Department Store for the enormous sum of $8.00.
The couple purchased an apple ranch in East Selah in 1939 where Hazel worked alongside Gordon doing all kinds of orchard work. They had two daughters.
Hazel returned to nursing at the old Osteopathic Hospital at 912 W. Yakima Ave in 1948. She continued her nursing studies at Yakima Junior College during the evenings and became a Licensed Practical Nurse. In April 1949 she began working for Dr. A. J. Myers DO. She worked in his Miller Building office until her retirement in 1973. She had the privilege to help deliver hundreds of Yakima babies during her career, including all four of her grandchildren.
Hazel was a caregiver for so many people. She was the "family nurse" and "neighborhood nurse" for many years. Through the years she and Gordon paid tuition for many young people to attend church school.
Hazel learned to play a pump organ as a young girl and this talent brought her and others great joy. Hazel particularly enjoyed her flower gardens, always having the prettiest yard in the neighborhood. She also enjoyed the nighttime sky, teaching her grandchildren about the stars and constellations.
Hazel appreciated any chance to travel, especially yearly trips with Gordon to the Los Angeles area where they enjoyed the Jack Benny Radio Show, the Phil Harris Radio Show, the Pasadena Rose Parade and the Lawrence Welk Show, delivering fresh Washington apples to whomever they met.
Hazel also enjoyed the seashore and Mt. Rainer National Park. She camped often at La Wis Wis on White Pass (her favorite place) with her family. She loved word games, especially Scrabble, which she played well into her 90s. She enjoyed reading, particularly her Bible, books of faith, biography and history.
Gordon and Hazel celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 1990. Hazel celebrated her 90th birthday with an Alaska cruise with her daughter Bette and family. This trip had been her lifelong dream.
Hazel was the oldest member of the Yakima 35th Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Gordon, her brothers, Floyd Albert English, Irvin Franklin English and Leslie William English.
She is survived by her beloved brother and sister-in-law, Herman Alfred and Nadine English of Auburn, her daughter Barbara (Mickey) Ritchey, her daughter and long-time caregiver, Bette (Lyndon) Rogers, all of East Selah.
She is also survived by four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews who were dear to her.
Special thanks to the Memorial Home Health/Hospice teams that provided loving support during Hazel's illness, especially Susie, Jonathan, Marcie, Kate and Pastor Dan Rogers.
Other caregivers who gave loving care were Kim, Rachel and Mary. Sincere thanks to each one of you.
Memorials may be made to the Yakima Adventist Christian School or Yakima Valley Memorial Hospice in care of Keith and Keith Funeral Home.
Viewing will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. today at the Keith & Keith Ninth Avenue Chapel. A graveside service will be held at 3:30 p.m. today April 10, 2009 at Terrace Heights Memorial Park. Those wishing to attend should meet at the cemetery. To share a memory of Hazel, visit www.mem.com.
