Mary M. Kaslon, 95

Mary M. “Marie” Kaslon, 95, of Ashton died Feb. 16, 2008, at the St. Francis Skilled Care in Grand Island.

Services were Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ashton. Interment was in the St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Ashton.

Mary M. Smolla was born March 26, 1912, on the family farm near Ashton, to Stanley and Mary (Smydra) Smolla.

She grew up on the family farm and attended Howard and Sherman County rural schools and St. Francis parochial school in Ashton. As a young woman she helped her family and neighbors in housekeeping and farming.

She married Steven P. Kaslon on May 9, 1933, at Ashton. The couple farmed their entire married life in the Ashton area. Her husband died in May of 1987, and that fall, she moved into Ashton. She lived in her home until 2004, when she moved to The Gardens Assisted Living in Loup City and in March 2007, she moved into Rose Lane Home.

She was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church and its Council of Catholic Women and Cursillo; the Ashton Community Club and was a lifetime member of the Polish Heritage Center.

Mrs. Kaslon enjoyed gardening, baking and needle work. Her family was very important to her.

She is survived by four sons and daughters-in-law, Richard and Grace Kaslon of Stinett, Texas, Jim and Cindy Kaslon of Grand Island, Steve and Penny Kaslon of Colorado Springs, Colo., and David and Debra Kaslon of Blair; six daughters and five sons-in-law, Rita and Edward Borzych of St. Paull, Phyllis Piechota, JoAnn and Robert Piechota, and Lois and Kenneth Maschka all of Ashton, Virginia and Larry Nollette and Carol and Mike Aliano, all of Omaha; 29 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; one brother, Edwin Smolla of Omaha; and three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Ernestine and Steve Eurek of Loup City, Margaret and Dick McClain of O’Neill and Frances Koehler of Grand Island; four sisters-in-law, Rosa Smolla of Blair, Harriet Smolla of Bloomingdale, Ill., Helen Kaslon and Eleanor Kaslon, both of Loup City.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Donald Kaslon; a son-in-law, Phil Piechota; a sister, Agnes Treffer; and four brothers, Edward, Alex, Joe and Richard Smolla.

Memorials are suggested to the church, the Polish Heritage Center or the donor’s choice.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~