Martha Lee Kasler

Martha Lee Kasler, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend, passed away on July 14, 2026, at her home in Kankakee, Illinois, at the age of ninety-seven. Martha was the unsung hero of the Kasler family, and her life stands as a testament to the strength and resilience of her generation.

Born in Macomb, Illinois, to Glenn Marcus Rankin and Helen Van Etten, Martha moved with her family to Indianapolis, Indiana, at the age of thirteen. She attended Shortridge High School before going on to Butler University, where she met James Kasler — a name she had known since her high school days, now returned home as a WWII veteran. After three years of dating, the two married and began their extraordinary life together.

Martha's devotion to Jim and to his Air Force service can be measured in many ways; one is the fact that in the first thirteen years of their marriage, the couple moved ten times, living in eight states and two foreign countries. It was during these years that Martha and Jim welcomed their three children.

Martha made friends everywhere she went, immersing herself in the life of each new community. She had a sparkle, a gift for putting people at ease. By all accounts, she had a heart of gold and was beloved by everyone who knew her.

In 1966, Martha and the children moved to Indianapolis to be near her mother while James was in Vietnam. That year, Air Force ace Colonel Kasler was shot down and taken prisoner of war at the Hanoi Hilton, beginning an ordeal that would last seven years. Throughout this period, Martha became a prominent advocate for the National League of POW/MIA Families channeling her energy into supporting other military families.

The family was reunited when James returned home in August 1973. That same year, Martha was named Indiana Mother of the Year — a fitting tribute to the strength she had shown. Her loyalty never wavered and she went on to support Jim's return to active service.

In 1975, Jim and Martha moved to Momence, Illinois, to live out their dream and run South Shore Golf Course, which they had owned since 1963. They quickly became beloved fixtures of the community — Jim serving on the boards of the Municipal Bank of Momence and Riverside Hospital — and they settled into a home of their own, built on the golf course itself. Martha, an avid golfer, cherished this chapter and the game she loved. They spent winters in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the couple built a close circle of friends.

Martha is survived by her three children: Suzanne Kasler Morris and her husband, John Morris, of Atlanta, Georgia; James Frederick Kasler (CDR, USN, Ret.) of Pensacola, Florida; and Nanette Kasler, also of Pensacola. She is further survived by six grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Helen Rankin, her husband of sixty-five years, James Helms Kasler (COL, USAF, Ret.), and their twin daughters, who they loved and lost at birth.

Martha’s enduring positivity, boundless patience, and sense of humor remain an inspiration to all who knew her.

Visitation will be held at Crown Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery, Gothic Chapel, 700 W. 38th St., Indianapolis, Indiana 46208, on August 1, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, with services at 12:00pm