Marie Dashner

Marie M. Dashner was an old-fashioned farm girl who enjoyed gardening, canning, working with animals and doing kind things for her family.

“She was a very caring, loving woman,” her husband Bryant said. “She loved people, period.”

Mrs. Dashner, 76, died Friday, March 9, of natural causes at her home in the Town of Holland.
She was born July 10, 1941, in Milwaukee to Edwin and Selma Kruse Groth. She was raised on a farm in Jackson where she milked short-horn cattle, raised chickens and tended to horses and pigs, her husband said.

She later farmed in Saukville for 20 years.  She worked at the American Club in Kohler for 13 years and was a member of 4-H for 13 years.
On Oct. 8, 1995, she married Mr. Dashner at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Fredonia, where she was a lifelong member.

One of Mrs. Dashner’s favorite hobbies was raising chickens. She always enjoyed it when her customers would stop and visit with her and play a game of cribbage.

Mrs. Dashner later moved to a three-acre farm in the Town of Holland, where she had cats, dogs, ducks and chickens. She also enjoyed taking care of her house.

“She loved the house. She made it look pretty,” her husband said.

“She never bought nothing for herself. It’s all secondhand clothes. I had to go out and buy her a leather coat,” her said. “She loved farming and being around animals instead of going out and spending money on herself.”

Mrs. Dashner made quilts for her grandchildren and made fudge every Christmas for family members.

“She did things for her children and for her grandkids above and beyond. She even cosigned for a loan for her son,” her husband said, adding her son was on leave from the Army at the time.

Mrs. Dashner enjoyed listening to old-time country music including artists such as Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline.

“She was a very down-to-earth, nice woman,” her husband said.

Mrs. Dashner is survived by her husband Bryant; her children John Rau, Leann (Gary) Dieringer, Joe Rau, Jenny (Dan) Burton, Clint (Angela) Rau; foster daughter Judy Rosenthal; grandchildren Rachael (B.J.), Josh, Samantha, Nick (Lindsay), Joe (Kyrie), Jim, Tiffany, Aleah, Ben (Amanda), Johan, Seth, Jacob, Jena and Jake; nine great-grandchildren; and brother Phil and sister-in-law Janice Groth.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

A funeral service will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, March 16, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Fredonia. The Rev. Robert Zick will preside.
Visitation will be at the church from 4 p.m. until the time of service. Interment will be at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery.

The Eernisse Funeral Home of Belgium is handling arrangements.