Wasyl Choroszajlo

Wasyl Choroszajlo (94) was born in the small village of Poltawa Ukraine on January 1, 1928, to Afanazi and Anastasia (Pochol) Choroszajlo. Wasyl was one of three sons born into this marriage. As a young man he along with his parent and one brother were rounded up by the Nazi army and shipped to a forced labor camp inside of Germany. He was forced to work digging tunnels 12 hours a day 7 days a week for the duration of the war along with the other captured Ukrainians. Neither of Wasyl's brothers survived the war. After being liberated by the US Army in 1945 he and his parents worked as shoe cobblers in Germany until 1950 when they were able to be sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt to the United States. He and his parents came to this country through Ellis Island and found themselves in Yukon, Oklahoma shortly after landing in America. Wasyl worked briefly in the janitorial field before finding work as a framing carpenter. He worked several years as a framer until an accident that nearly cost him his life. After healing from his work site accident, he went to work as an interior finish carpenter and retired in 1995. While working on a farm, a young Yukon native Sybil Williams caught his eye, literally. Years later, Sybil would tell the story that Wasyl was winking at her, and Wasyl always explained he wasn't winking, he had dirt in his eye. The two were married and had two sons Robert and Mike. Sybil preceded Wasyl in death in 2003. Wasyl is survived by his sons, Robert Choroszajlo, Mike Cory and his wife Janis, grandson Scott Cory and his wife Hang, granddaughters Carly and husband Rod Jones, Jill and Ryan Chambless, and 2 great granddaughters. Funeral services will be 11:00 am Tuesday December 27, 2022, at Smith and Kernke Funeral Chapel located at 1401 NW 23rd street. Interment will follow at Fairlawn Cemetery.