Hilaria M. Corrigan

Corrigan, Hilaria M., 97, died Friday evening, March 23, 2007. The Rosary will be 7:00 P.M., Monday, March 26 with the Funeral Mass at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, March 27, both at the Church of the Magdalen. Burial will be 3:00 P.M., Tuesday, in St. Catherines Cemetery, Catherine KS. She was born in Catherine KS, the oldest of 13 children born to Jacob J. and Clara A. Karlin Schmidt. Hilaria, known as “Smitty” to her friends, and “Auntie Hi” to her nieces and nephews, graduated from Girls Catholic High School, now Thomas Moore Prep-Marian, Hays, KS in 1928. During High School and several years following she served as the organist of St. Catherines Church in Catherine, KS. Immediately following High School Graduation she started her career in the banking business at the Farmers State Bank of Hays. During her tenure at Farmers State, she was kidnapped and taken hostage in a bank robbery in 1933. It was during this bank robbery that one of the officers of the bank, also taken as a hostage, was shot and later died as a result of his wounds. In the early 1940s, Hilaria moved to Wichita, where she was employed by the then Fourth National Bank of Wichita. She worked at that bank for 25 years after which she retired. Hilaria made the rank of Vice President, a first for females in the banking business, in the late 40s. During her career in banking and retirement she was very active in the National Association of Bank Women, and served in many offices including president of the association. Hilaria was married to Jim Corrigan, a veteran of the Bataan Death March, following World War II. She and Jim were able to enjoy one of their favorite activities, traveling to many places in the world following her and Jims retirement. They also made many trips to the Hays Area to visit her brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces still living there. Even up to the age of 94, she would drive by herself from Wichita to Hays and back, in order to visit her siblings. Hilaria was preceded in death by her husband Jim, who died in 1995. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Jacob J. Schmidt and Clara Karlin Schmidt, her brothers Lucius, Hays, and Aloysius, Catherine, sisters Pia Schmidt, Catherine, Agnes Zimmerman (Mrs. Henry), Wichita, Sr. M. Clareann Schmidt, Fond du Lac WI, and an infant sister, Sybilla, Catherine. She is survived by brothers James, KC MO, and Tony, Richardson TX, sisters Regina Polifka, Hays, Johanna Walters, Salina, Dolores Dreiling, Overland Park, and Roseann Malsam, Wakeeney and Sister-in-law Freda Schmidt, Hays and many nieces and nephews. The Rosary will be 7:00 P.M., Monday, March 26 with the Funeral Mass at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, March 27, both at the Church of the Magdalen. Burial will be 3:00 P.M., Tuesday, in St. Catherines Cemetery, Catherine KS.