Mary Ellen (Hayes) Ashley was born June 5, 1925, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of Chester and Manola Welcome Hayes. Mary was wed to the late John H. Ashley, Sr., on June 16, 1945. Mary will be remembered by many as the head cook for the Brookville schools from the early 1960’s until the 1990’s. She enjoyed her many hours preparing meals from scratch for thousands of students. She also donated her time and talents to the town of Brookville, cooking for many church and community suppers. In her spare time, Mary enjoyed playing her Wurlitzer organ, singing with her family, and spoiling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of Mary’s greatest pleasures was sharing stories of her time growing up through the 1920’s and 30’s. Her most memorable story was of her employment at the Wright Aeronautical Company in Cincinnati, where she assisted in the testing of engines for the Boeing B-17 and B-19 bombers during World War II. She was truly a real life Rosie the Riveter and proud of it. Mary peacefully joined her departed loved ones on Thursday, December 19, 2019.
Mary is survived by her children, John H. (Emma) Ashley, Jr., and Connie J. Lang; grandchildren, Denise (Brad) Stacy, Kim (Clark Sherwood) Lang, Tereasa Lang, Rick (Melissa) Lang, Tara (Dan) Ball, and James (Christina) Ashley; 15 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandson. Mary is also survived by her sisters, Marjorie Braswell and Joann (Bob) Dews. Mary was preceded in death by her husband, John; three sisters; five brothers; and son-in-law; David Chaddon.
Per Mary’s wishes, a private service will be held by the family at a later date. Memorial donations may be directed to the Brookville United Methodist Church.