Aschim, Anastasia "Ann" (Willson) 1925 - 2023
ASCHIM, WILLSON, WILSON, WELSH, CAROLAN, EVANS, DAVIES, LEMOS, GRAVES, OWENS, NELSON
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 3/18/2023 at 10:51:06
Anastasia “Ann” Aschim, age 97, of Decorah, IA, passed away on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at Wellington Place in Decorah.
Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah with Rev. Donald Hertges presiding. Burial will be in the St. Benedict Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the Church on Saturday morning.
Anastasia “Ann” Ermina (Wilson) Aschim was born on April 28, 1925, on a farm north of Decorah, Iowa to Frank and Sarah Agnes (Welsh) Willson. After her mother’s death when she was six months old, she was taken care of by John and Mayme Carolan, friends of the Willson family. She was well loved and cared for by them and raised like one of their own. She was baptized at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in Bluffton and confirmed at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah. She attended a rural country school and graduated from Decorah High School in 1943.
After she graduated from high school, she moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where she took classes to become a teletype operator. She then worked for the Air Service Command in Ohio for two years during WWII. Ann was united in marriage to Harold Aschim on April 4, 1945, at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah. Together they farmed the Aschim home farm for many years. In 1951, they had their only son Mark. After Mark started high school, Ann worked at Sears in Decorah for twenty years. She was a member of St. Benedict Catholic church, Rosary Society, and Catholic Daughters of America. She loved and was dedicated to her husband Harold for sixty-three years.
Ann will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She was a kind, loving woman who had a quick wit and a fiery spirit. You always knew where you stood with Ann as she was never scared to tell you what she thought. Her grandchildren lovingly joke that they are going to tap into their “inner Grandma Ann” whenever they need to be boldly assertive.
Ann’s boldness served her well in life. She met Harold at a dance in Decorah when she threw salt onto his head to get his attention when he was seated in the booth behind her. Apparently, this worked as planned. He would eventually follow her to Ohio where he would propose to her before they moved back to Decorah to be married.
Ann enjoyed an active and fun-filled life, and many happy memories were made by all those visiting her on the Aschim farm. She loved company; she and Harold often spent time playing cards with their friends, attending dances, or hosting get-togethers. She could always tell you the infinite number of ways that people were connected. There didn’t seem to be a person in NE Iowa that Ann didn’t know or how they were related to each other. She loved watching football, especially the Hawkeyes, was proud of her Irish heritage, and was an amazing cook. Ann had a strong sense of faith that she carried with her throughout her life. She loved her family fiercely in the good and the tough times and prayed for them continuously during both.
Ann is survived by her son: Mark (Jan) Aschim, South Beloit. Four grandchildren: Kathryn (Neal) Evans, Lindsay (Kirk) Davies, Natalie (Jared) Lemos, and Lee (Kate) Aschim. Seven great grandchildren: Ayla, Finn & Etta Davies, Parker & Hazel Lemos, and Magnus & Callan Aschim. Along with many cousins, nieces and great nieces and nephews. Ann is also survived by all the Carolan relatives who openly loved and cared for Ann for many years and made her a part of their own families.
Ann was preceded in death by her parents: Frank and Sarah Agnes (Welsh) Willson and John and Mayme Carolan. Her husband: Harold Aschim, her siblings, and their spouses: Paul (Irene) Willson, Florence (Steve) Carolan, Robert (Dorothy) Wilson, Gertrude (Ray) Carolan, Peggy (Leonard) Graves, Loretta (Pat) Owens, Charles (Darlene) Willson, James (Marilyn) Willson, Her father-in-law, and her mother-in-law: Hans and Marie (Nelson) Aschim. Harold’s siblings and their spouses. Also, Madonna Wilson, who was a dear friend and niece that was especially close to Ann.
Source: Helms Funeral Home database
St. Benedict Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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