Hazel Josephine (Vose) Collins

Hazel Josephine Vose Collins, born September 29, 1924 in Anselmo, Nebraska, died September 7, 2016 in Olalla, Washington. She was the daughter of Victor V Vose and Edna Irene Kennedy, wife of Joseph W Collins and mother of 8 children: Dorothy Marks of Olalla,  Patricia Carvell of Newport, Ruby Fesler of Yakima, Joseph Collins of Bremerton, Evelyn Gannawy of Spokane, Priscilla Hall of Port Orchard (preceded her in death in 2003), and Teresa Sobosky of Valley, all from the state of Washington except for Phyllis Anderson of Idaho. She had many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren too numerous to count. She enjoyed taking many 5 generation pictures. 

She was raised in Nebraska as a child, lived in Washington as a teen where she met  and married Joseph W Collins, while he was in the Navy and she was working in the Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. They lived in Kansas City for a short while where their first child was born and then moved to Wisconsin for the birth of their 2nd child and back to Kansas where the next 3 children were born. They lived there for many years on a farm a short way from Garnett with her husband and 5 children. While on the farm she canned the vegetables they grew for food and made most of the children’s clothes as she loved to sew. She played piano for the children’s school programs.

In 1956 they moved to Howe Idaho for a few months and lived on a sheep ranch. Then in 1957 they moved to Walla Walla, WA and while there she had 2 more children, was a Sunday School teacher for many years and visited each child  to let them know how important each of them were. Her husband Joe worked for Ben Hunt and she sold cinnamon rolls to the others who worked with her husband. Made a home for her family and juggled everyone’s schedules. Her son Joe played Pony League and her husband Joe W was his coach. Good times were had and many late dinners. She loved roses and always had some in the yard. She had what some would call a Green Thumb, the plants she touched thrived. Loved playing table games with friends and family. 

The family moved to Port Orchard, WA in 1965 when the three oldest children were out on their own and she had her last child while living there. She taught the 3 youngest how to sing while she played the piano at the Nazarene Church. The children ranged in age from 2, 3, and 5 when they started singing. The 2 youngest daughters sing together on occasion even now. Just a few weeks before her passing they were at her side and all were singing hymns and choruses together and having a wonderful time. She loved Jesus and taught her children of him. She supervised the Ridgemont Terrace Nursing home for a short while as a sub. A lady who made a difference in other’s lives. She was preceded in death by her husband some 20 years earlier. 

She liked to travel and did so with her children and grandchildren when asked, went to Canada, Virginia City to see the place that Bonanza was filmed. Many road trips to Idaho, Georgia and back t o Kansas, many times. She was into genealogy and has left her children a well written history of the family. She went to rest awaiting Jesus with her eldest daughter by her side. Just 3 days earlier she was surprised by her children with an early birthday celebration – a wonderful time for all.

 Service Information