Bobby J. Gassmann, age 72, of Oakley, passed away on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 surrounded by her family at the Salina Regional Health Center. Bobby was born on September 22, 1946 in Norton to Archie and Bertie Brooks. She was the third of six children.

When Bobby was young, her parents moved to a farm north of Densmore. She, her brothers and sisters, worked very hard but also got into plenty of trouble. It has been said that she was the ring leader. All of that instilled a strong work ethic and orneriness that lasted throughout her life.

Bobby graduated from Densmore High School in May, 1964 and started her life long career one month later. She worked with the Kansas Department of Transportation for 51 years, retiring in April of 2015. She also started working for Jill’s Helping Hands and the Logan County Health as a caregiver. She worked as a caregiver until the time of her death.

Bobby and Martin were married on January 20, 1968 in Oakley. They spent a lot of time together in their yearly flower and vegetable gardens. They also made various pieces of jewelry which they sold at craft fairs and gave to family and friends. Also, in her spare time, she crocheted, knitted, and sewed many projects for family and friends.

Those left to cherish this wonderful lady are her husband, Martin of 51 years; her children: Dana Oster of Grand Island, Nebraska, Derek (Katie, her favorite daughter-in-law) of Silver Creek (near Columbus, Nebraska), and Darcee Gassmann of Colby; seven grandchildren she was so proud of: Jaydyn, Bailey, Winton, Braeden, Hunter, Andrew, and Addisen; her sisters: Bonnie Leidig (Riley) of Phillipsburg, Betty Morgan of Hays, and Bertha Williams (Bob) of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois; her brother, Bill (Sue) Brooks of Oakley, sisters-in-law, Deb Brooks of Salina, Margaret Bruggeman of Wichita, and Clemie Katt (Bernie) of Grainfield, and many nieces and nephews.

As we said goodbye to her, there were many family and friends waiting to greet her. Among them, her parents, Archie and Bertie Brooks, her brother, Burton Brooks, brother-in-law, Max Morgan, father and mother-in-law, Joseph and Germaine Gassmann, brothers-in-law, Joe Gassmann and Henry Gassmann, and sister-in-law, Agnes Bollig.

Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Oakley, with burial in the St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation: Monday, March 11, 2019, from 5 – 8 p.m. at Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, with rosary/wake service at 7:00 p.m. Memorials: American Cancer Society and Bobby Gassmann Memorial Fund in care of Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 221, Oakley, KS 67748.