Jean Marilyn Maslanka's Obituary
Jean Marilyn (Voth) Maslanka ~ 96 died October 26, 2022, in Tulsa, Oklahoma from complications of dementia. She was Born November 13, 1925, in Moundridge, Kansas to John J. Voth and his wife Lydia (Krehbiel) Voth.
Her grandparents were pioneers settling, in Kansas in the late 1800s. Her mother had a home business designing and sewing wedding dresses. Her father was a wheat farmer, an amateur inventor, and a technology advocate. Mary’s family had the first TV in their community. It seemed so outrageous in a Mennonite community, he earned the nickname, TV Voth! There were eight children born to the Voth family. Mary was the youngest, her mother was 45 when she was born. After graduating high school in Moundridge, Kansas she went to work for a local photographer.
To aid in the war effort, during the Rosie the Riveter era, she was employed by Beech Aircraft as an inventory analyst working on the AT-10. After the war, she married Stanley Maslanka of Barnsdall, Oklahoma who was working for a crude oil pump company near the farm where she was raised. They were married on February 5, 1949, in McPherson, Kansas, and honeymooned at the Mayo Hotel. Soon moved to Wichita where Stan worked as an electrician for Boeing Aircraft. In 1957 they moved to Tulsa and Stan began his long-term employment as a maintenance electrician with Texaco Cities Service Pipeline.
In 1963 Mary became an independent contractor for The Don Jurick Photographic Studio. She was a portrait colorist and retouching artist. Figuratively speaking, she was doing photoshop work before Photoshop existed. In the late 50’s and early 60’s portraits were printed in a Sepia tone. She would then add color to the portrait with a cotton swab and oil paint.
In 1973 they were transferred to Chanute, and Mary expanded her business and soon was working for several photographers in the Midwest. In the late 70’s they moved to Vandalia, Illinois and Mary made the plans for her dream house, collected antiques, painted, and sold art.
In 1982 Stan and Mary moved to Russell, Kansas where Stan worked until his retirement. They loved to dance and went all over Kansas square dancing. While they were square dancing, they found their true passion — Polka dancing. Mary said Stan couldn’t keep time, so she took the lead. You will hear one of her favorite Polkas before you leave today.
In 1990, when Stan retired from Kaw Pipeline (formerly Texaco), they moved to Broken Arrow and did many things together including traveling by car to half the United States. The family joke was if you rattled the keys Mary headed for the car. Together they bought and sold antiques, attended dad’s ship reunions, and polka danced their way from state to state.
For many years Mary was a solid contributor to the Iris Garden Club of Broken Arrow. If you knew her, you knew she had the energy to spare.
When Mary was 94, her daughter took a video of her blowing the yard while complaining about the neighbor’s leaves and sticky balls that blew in from the Sweetgum tree nearby. Raised on a farm in the Mennonite culture, her work ethic was stellar. Mary instructed Kaz and Jean about behavior and consequences. After all, on any Kansas farm in February, if someone didn’t break the ice, the cows wouldn’t have water.
Her children I never heard the words, “I’m tired.” She was a 38-year member of the Home and Community Extension in Vandalia, Illinois, and the OSU extension in Tulsa. She was active in an antique bottle club and/or antique marble club everywhere she lived. Mary was a participating member of Alpha Rho Tau in Tulsa and enjoyed entering local and state art competitions. She liked to win, and she won a lot.
Over the years her artistic expressions appeared in many mediums: Oil painting, drawing, watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil. She was a long-time student of Ross Meyer of Tulsa, who once said she was the best still-life artist under his tutelage. For years her oil paintings were sold by Wolf gallery in Claremore, OK. Her landscapes and still-life paintings are in collections all over the Midwest. She won numerous awards for both her retouching skill and painting.
Mary is survived by her children Scott Kazmier and wife Ilsu of San Diego, California, Daughter Jean Kelley-Jacobi and husband Bill Jacobi of Tulsa, step-grandchildren Valerie Jacobi of Tulsa, Christopher Jacobi and wife Juliana of Tulsa, and step-great grandchild William Daniel Jacobi.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, November 1, 2022 from 5-7 PM
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 3:00 PM at Floral Haven Funeral Home with Pastor Kirk Voth officiating. Interment will follow at Floral Haven Memorial Gardens - Garden of Prophets
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