Fern Ruth Ashner Obituary (2009)

Fern Ruth “Eva” Ashner, 85, passed away surrounded by family at her home in Mission, Kansas on January 10, 2009 following a long illness. She was born December 16, 1923 to Charlie and Bessie Penner Ashner. The oldest of eight siblings, she became her family’s matriarch upon the death of her mother in 1953. She lived her entire life on the site of her family’s Greenwood Dairy at 49th and Lamar in Johnson County, Kansas. As a child she and her siblings worked hard in all aspects of the dairy’s operation. She was a 1942 graduate of Shawnee Mission rural High School and worked for over three decades at the corporate headquarters of the Western Auto Company in Kansas City. She was known to her coworkers as an industrious and conscientious employee who was proud of her work. Eva reinforced family connections among her siblings and extended family. Her frequent calls, cards and visits were a testament to her concern and love. Throughout her life she always put family first. Although short in stature Eva was a fireball. She lived life with zest and had gusto for meeting new people and befriending those she met along her path. She was a prolific collector of beautiful things including handbags, china teacups and saucers, fountain pens, cow figurines, coins and jewelry, especially rings with colored gems or rhinestones. Her hands were always adorned with glistening rings from among her collection of hundreds of pieces. She often found her greatest treasures while scouring garage sales or during her weekly treks to Swap n’ Shop on Merriam Lane. Growing up on a dairy defined her character and shaped her lifestyle and interests. She was always early to bed and early to rise. Her early years on the farm instilled in her a strong work ethic and a persistence and resiliency that served her well. A child of the depression, Eva was thrifty by nature. She clipped coupons and loved a bargain. But she was also soft hearted and generous by nature. She enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews and relished visits from her great nieces and nephews. Whatever she had she was willing to share with family and those in need. She made contributions to many charitable and political causes. Eva was also a prolific reader. She was an aficionado of fiction including romance novels and she loved to keep up on current events by reading the “scandal sheets” as she called them. While much of her life was spent within the confines of Mission, Kansas she did travel including an annual trip to the East Coast to visit her beloved sister Frances and her family. She always returned with stories of her adventures in New York City and with salt water taffy to share with family and friends. She loved animals and in her later years her life was enriched by the company of a much beloved cat, Roamer. She is survived by her siblings and their spouses, Leo and Dottye Ashner, Dorothy Ashner Parness, Frances Ashner Feldman (North Plainfield, NJ), Louis and Sonie Ashner, Barney and Marlene Ashner, Herb and Gina Ashner and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her parents, a sister, Anna Mae Ashner Rice, and brothers in law, Bob Feldman and Lou Parness. The family extends special thanks to Eva’s caregiver, Olin Brown and Christene Johnson of Eldercare and the kind and gentle professionals from St. Luke’s Hospice. The family also acknowledges the wonderful care of Dr. Peter Holt. A celebration of Eva’s life was held on Wednesday morning, January 14, 2009 at The Louis Memorial Chapel, 6830 Troost Avenue, Kansas City MO. Burial followed at Sheffield Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to St. Luke’s Hospice, 3100 Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64111; ARC of Union County, 52 Fadem Rd., Springfield, NJ 07081 or Wayside Waifs, 3901 Martha Truman Rd., Kansas City, MO 64137.