Asworth, Barbara L. 1925-2025 Olathe, Kan.

OLATHE, Kan. – Barbara Lee Ashworth, 100, Olathe, Kansas, passed away Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. She was born July 2, 1925, to Frank L. and Erma L. (Deibler) Clark, in Manhattan, Kansas.

Barbara married George Maurice Ashworth on Dec. 8, 1943, and were married for 47 years before his passing in 1991.

Initially forging her career as a secretary at Hillyard Chemical, she later embraced the challenge of higher education by going back to school and earning her master’s degree in education at the age of 38. Barbara’s passion for teaching blossomed as she became an inspiring 5th-grade teacher at Mark Twain, where she enriched the lives of her students for over two decades. She was a prolific quilter, weaving warmth and beauty into every pattern. Her love for reading transported her across worlds and through times. Barbara’s fascination with genealogy allowed her to connect with generations past, tracing the intricate web of her family’s history. Her handcrafted doll clothes were not just articles of play but miniature symbols of the care she poured into her every endeavor.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband; siblings, Harlan Clark, Frank Clark, Jacqueline Ackley, Erma Lucille Spangler, and Roland Clark.

Survivors include her children, Lee Ashworth (Mary Ann), Stephen Ashworth (Jan), Clark Ashworth (Amber), and Alan Ashworth (Julie); 14 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; three great-great- grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Carolyn Clark.

Farewell Services and Public Livestream 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Entombment Memorial Park Mausoleum. The family will gather with friends 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory.

Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com. As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.