M. Adria Walston

M. Adria Ralston, (Adria Kahler) was born June 26, 1915 on a farm north of Mechanicsville. Her parents were Charles Byron Kahler and Dora Hannah (Smith) Kahler. Dora was a housewife and Charles had several types of employment. He owned a farm 2 miles north of Mechanicsville, but he also had a grocery store during the Depression and was on the board of the Mechanicsville Trust and Savings bank. Adria was a 1933 graduate of Mechanicsville High School. She attended the Community College in Tipton, receiving a 2-year degree. She taught in a country school in Cedar County after graduating from Tipton and also taught in Manchester, Martelle, and in Mt. Vernon. During this time, Adria began to work on her bachelors degree at Cornell College during the summers. She married Leon Derrell Ralston in June of 1942. Leon then shipped out with the Army for WWII. Adria was teaching at the time and was required to resign her position because married women werent allowed to teach. By fall of 1942, things had changed due to the lack of men and she was allowed back into the teaching profession and taught for the next 6 years. In 1948, she was teaching in Mt. Vernon, and had to resign because she was pregnant with her first child, Barbara Lynn. Two years later she had a second child, Leon Derrell Jr. During this time, Adria was a farm wife. In 1955, the family moved to South Dakota for what had been intended to be a couple of years. They came back to Mechanicsville summers and wintered in Hot Springs, SD. During this time, Adria taught for Hot Springs Public Schools, teaching at both the junior and senior high and attending college classes at Chadron State. She completed her Masters Degree in Education at this time. She became very involved in girls athletics and was instrumental in establishing the first Title IX programs for the state of South Dakota. She also began all girls athletics in Hot Springs. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma. Adria then taught on Pine Ridge in several of their elementary/middle schools. During this time, she completed another degree in education and was certified as a Principal for schools. When she retired, she and her husband spent a lot of time traveling. They spent quite a few winters in Florida or Texas, visiting friends and relatives. They toured the East coast and the South. While their daughter and her family were in Alaska, Adria and Leon made almost yearly trips to visit them, usually pulling a 33 foot trailer. Adria had many talents. She was an excellent cook; she made most of Lynns clothes during both high school and college; she tooled leather, making wallets, purses, and belts for her family; and she loved gardening. Adria died on November 26, 2014 was preceded in death by her husband, Leon Derrell Ralston, Sr. She lived with her son, Derrell and his family in California beginning in 2011 before moving into Avalon Nursing Home in June, 2013. She is survived by Lynn and Duane Mesnard (daughter) and their children Terry and Chris and by Derrell and Melisa Ralston (son) and their son, Steven. She is also remembered by many friends and former students. A visitation for Adria will be Friday, December 5, 2014, from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at Morgan Funeral Choices, Mount Vernon and again from 9:30 until service time on Saturday, December 6, 2014. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, December 6, 2014 at the Mechanicsville United Methodist Church with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery, Mechanicsville. A memorial fund in Adrias honor has been established. On line condolences: morganfuneralchoices.com