Onita M. Michel-McBride

Onita M. Michel-McBride, age 98, passed away, Friday, February 11, 2022.

Visitation, 9am-7pm, with family present, 5:30-7pm, Thursday, February 17, at Shinkle Mortuary, Haysville.

Rosary, 9:30am, Friday, February 18, with Funeral Mass following at 10am, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Haysville.

Onita was born on September 4th, 1923 in Hays Kansas. She attended Catholic School through 8th grade, and graduated from Hays High School in 1941. On September 4th 1946 in Hays, Kansas, Onita married Leon Michel. While living in Hays, their first child Ron was born. They then moved to rural Russell County to live on the Michel Family Farm, in which time Ed was born. Onita and Leon moved to Clafin, Kansas until 1963 where they had Tom, Jan, and Jeri. From 1963-1965, the family briefly lived in Belpre, then moved to Albert, Kansas where they remained until 1974. That summer, Onita retired and they purchased a home in Great Bend, Kansas, where she lived until Leon's death in January 1994. 

Onita married Thomas McBride on March 4th, 2003 in Great Bend, Kansas. After Tom’s death in 2009, Onita moved from Great Bend to Haysville, Kansas to be closer to family. She remained in Haysville until June 2021, at which time she moved to the Catholic Care Center in Wichita.

Throughout Onita’s life, she worked for Kessler Laundry & Dry Cleaners in Hays, Kansas, and Southwestern Bell as a telephone operator, then later an administrative assistant. In 1963, she went to Cosmetology School in Great Bend, Kansas, and worked as a Cosmetologist until retiring in 1974.

From 1974-2010, Onita was a member of St. Patricks Catholic Church in Great Bend, Kansas. After Moving, she became a member of St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church in Haysville, Kansas. She volunteered and was part of many organizations including the Senior Center in Great Bend, teaching swim lessons for the Red Cross, Altar Society, Good Sam’s RV Club, and being a leader for the Cub & Girl Scouts. Some of Onita’s favorite hobbies included sewing, reading, tending to her plants and flowers, and music, because she played the violin in high school. She also loved spending time with her family, and RV traveling with Leon to spend winters in Arizona.

Preceded in death by first husband, Leon Michel; second husband, Thomas McBride; sons, Ronald and Thomas Michel; parents, WM and Katherine Stanton; siblings, Agnes Hembrough, Victor Stanton, Claire Ellison, Simon Stanton, James Stanton. Survivors: children, Edward (Gloria) Michel of Derby, Janice (Mark) Middlemist of Wichita, Jerelyn (Dennis) Meier of Muskogee, OK; daughters-in-law, Mary Michel of Hutchinson, Sharon Michel of Liberal; 17 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great grandchild.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial: Haysville Community Library, (to go towards large print books), 210 S. Hays, Haysville, KS 67060.

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