Helen Ashton

Helen “Joni” Ashton passed away of natural causes at the age of 96. Joni was the widow of Frank G. Ashton, a New York businessman in the pharmacy business for many years. Joni was born in Austin Texas, a cousin of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson. Her father, Earl Johnson, was a Trustee of Baylor University, where Joni graduated with a nursing degree. Her mother, Mattie LaCrosse, died when Joni was 6 years old and Joni was raised by her father in Dallas where she attended The Hockaday School. In 1939, Joni married Karl H. Krause, who passed away in 1966; he was a renowned electrical engineer and key designer of guidance system for the first Atomic Nuclear Submarine, Nautilus. Joni and Karl lived in Brooklyn New York and raised their only daughter Karen, who passed away at the age of 56 in 1999. Joni spent the last fourty years living in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. Joni is survived by her grandchildren, Thomas Blair and his wife Michelle, of Stamford Connecticut, Katherine Blair Sullivan and her husband Brian, of Glenn Mills, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Blair Quinn and her husband Douglas, of Dallas, Texas, and Jennifer Blair Ewert and her husband Duffy, of Seattle, Washington. Joni is also survived by her four great grandchildren, Taylor Quinn (6), Schuyler Quinn (4), Rylee Sullivan (5), and Madison Ewert (2). Joni will be laid to rest at the Forrest Lawn Funeral Home & Cemetery, Pompano Beach Florida on Tuesday October 25, 2011 at 10am. The viewing will be held from 6-8pm on Monday October 24, 2011.