Hazel Marie Corbett

Loving Memories of
Hazel Marie Corbett
My Beautiful Sweet Wife, by Herbert Corbett

April 26th, 1927 to March 17th, 2013
Hazel was born in Jackson, North Carolina, daughter of Essie and Charlie 'Larry' Bryant. She had 6 brothers, Charlie , Jesse, Jack, Leroy, James 'Cootie', Calvin 'Tiny' and 2 sisters, Lillian and Patricia 'Tish'. She is survived only by her youngest sister Patricia 'Tish' Bowman (husband Ray Bowman).
Hazel Marie is survived by her husband Herbert Dempsey Corbett and their 5 children. Sheryl Mimi, James Jay (wife Judy), Vicky Lou, Henry Edward (wife Elizabeth) and Ann Marie. There are 16 Grandchildren and 24 great Grandchildren.
Hazel Marie' Bryant' Corbett
Little Hazel loved her adoring Uncle Manzy who was like a grandfather to her. He would carry her all around telling her stories after stories. She had an imagination and little girl Hazel would ride the goat and cart as if it was her own horse and carriage. As a little girl Hazel loved planting flowers in her mama's garden. And continued that love all through her life.
She was the first daughter of a peanut and cotton farmer and trapper in North Carolina. She had a very kind loving mother and generous loving father. After the depression he took care of many family members. Her mama's twin sister Lessie and family lived with them or in one of their farm houses, just as many other family members did. He had over 400 acres that had several homes with property that he sold overtime during the depression to feed he relatives.
She was very athletic and artistic. She went on to play basketball for her high school, while also being very accomplished with pottery, which still graces the homes of some. Hazel had many talents. She made all her clothes and was one of the best dressed. She would come home from school and study by lamp light and was voted 'most likely to succeed 'in her senior year.
This Carolina country girl carried this artistic talent and love for the country farm throughout her life in her home and her beautifully abundant gardens. She loved to travel and see gardens worldwide, as her many photos reflex.
She married her sweetheart Herbert Dempsey Corbett in 1947 in Pasquotank County North Carolina. Hazel raised her family from the east coast of Virginia and to the west coast of California. In Norfolk Virginia after her first born, she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1949.
Remembering Hazel In the words of her loving husband Herbert
After high school Hazel went to Norfolk VA to work for Western Union. She learned the Morse code to wire money and messages home for the service men. She became qualified to take the place of her boss when he left during War time.
Meanwhile in Richmond VA I passed a physical for the army but my best friend Louise Acid said it would be more prestige's to be in the Merchant Marines. So we went to boot training and I went into advance training for the engine room. Then I took a ship to San Francisco, then onto Manila. When the Japanese were fighting the United States, our ship took the Army supplies to an unnamed island. Port holes and doors were sealed so not let us know where we were at. On our way home we had just left the Philippine Islands when the United States dropped the atomic bomb. Each time I would go through a war zone I got a bonus and had a lot of money. So when I came to shore I trained on private airplanes and got my private pilot's license to fly people.
I remember it was just after my ship was blown up and sank from a mine near the shores of Leghorn, Italy that I meet a beautiful girl named Hazel Marie in Broadcreek Village in Norfolk, VA
We were both about 19 years old in the fall of 1946
My best friend Louis Acid introduced me to his girlfriend Fay Baum's best friend Hazel Bryant on a blind date. We went bowling, which Hazel didn't like, so she wanted to go home, so I took her home. Even though after that we began to get together for walks and go to the park.
Miss Jennings who was in charge of the recreation hall didn't like me, because she had already picked out a college student for Hazel to marry. Hazel and her daughter were friends and roommates. But, Hazel moved out and moved to another couples house and they really like me.
After the war a man came back and took Hazel's Western Union job. She went back to North Carolina for some months. When she came back she began working for the telephone company.
I saw her on the bus. And knew she was back in town. She had been dating a guy who had a flown her to Kitty Hawk in his plane.
Then I went to a dance in Broad Creek Village where Hazel went too. At the dance my best friend Louise told Hazel that I liked her and he told me that Hazel liked me. After that she didn't see that pilot anymore.
She went home again to North Carolina and when she came back we both realized we really liked each other a whole bunch. And she was so beautiful. The couple she was living with wanted us to get married too.
So we traveled back to my hometown Elizabeth city and got married in the Pasquotank County Court House by a Justice of the Peace.
We return to Broad creek Village. But once we got married I didn't ship out anymore. And I began working as a mechanic and Hazel began to work as a waitress.
We started having a family. First, born was Sheryl Mimi then James Jay, Vicky Lou, Henry Edward and Ann Marie. Five kids.
But after the war and the depression, it was hard to get a good paying job. And as a mechanic I only made $40 dollars a week. And before I was a Merchant Marine I made a $100 a week as a mechanic.
So, in 1957 we decided to go west to California were there was supposed to be more opportunity to make money.
We packed up the kids in a brand new '57 Ford station wagon and drove west for 3 days.
We continued to raise our family in the San Fernando Valley until they all left home. Then Hazel and I began to buy and sell property. And after making quite a bit of money we began to travel. To Alaska, to Mexico and saw the pyramids, to England, Ireland, Wales, New York and Hawaii.
Then we settled down in our retirement home in Quartz Hill, Palmdale, CA.
Hazel has been my beautiful best friend for more than 67 years.