Bryan WWII nurse passes away at 102: ‘Every positive adjective in Webster Dictionary would describe her’

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – World War II nurse and pilar of the Bryan community, Hazel Von Roeder passed away this week at the age of 102.

“A nurse in the army in World War II. She was in the reserves between World War II and Korean War. When Korea came around, she decided she wanted her wings. She was going to get wings and she did get them,” memorialized LinMarie Garsee, a good friend of Von Roeder’s and founder of Quilts for Vets.

102-year-old Hazel Von Roeder passed away Monday, July 29. In her passing, she leaves a legacy that is sure to live on.

“If you were to open the dictionary under adjectives, every positive adjective in Webster’s Dictionary would describe her,” Garsee declared. “A lot of times when folks die, everybody says ‘oh they were the best, they were so kind.’ Not necessarily, but when I say that about her, it’s God’s truth. I mean, she was just that way.”

Hazel was recognized by Brazos County Commissioner’s Court in 2021 on her 100th birthday for her lifetime of hard work.

“She was just a dedicated woman to helping humanity. There’s not too many World War II Veterans to recognize that have reached the age of 100, so we were delighted to be able to recognize her for that milestone,” said Brazos County Commissioner Nancy Berry, Precinct 3.

Garsee told KBTX she met Von Roeder after she gifted the nurse with a quilt for her service. The two visited just days before her passing; a visit she said she’d treasure forever.

“I got to visit with her a few days before she passed and even in her last hours, I sat in a chair beside her and I laid my head on her bed next to her, and she put her arm and her hand across my back,” Garsee recalled. “Even in her last hours, she was comforting me when my heart was hurting. That’s just who Miss Hazel was.”

Hazel Von Roeder’s visitation service was held Friday evening at Callaway- Jones funeral Home.

Her funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday morning, August 3. This service is open to the public at Callaway-Jones funeral home. Her family asks those in attendance to wear red, white, and blue in honor of Hazel’s love for this country.

Von Roeder will be interned with Military Honors following her funeral at 11:45 a.m. at Wellborn Cemetery.