Clara Dolly Stone, Queen of Sass and Silly, Dies at 93

Clara Elizabeth 'Dolly' Stone, Queen of Sass and Silly, passed her crown down to her daughter and granddaughters on Saturday, January 31, 2026."

Born December 20, 1932, in Keshena to Henry Martin and Grace (Grignon) Martin, Clara Elizabeth Stone remained a lifelong resident of the community she loved. Dolly proudly reached the age of 93, a milestone noted in family remembrances that captured her humor and local reputation.

Family life and neighborhood presence defined much of Stone's legacy. "For nearly 40 years, her most cherished title was 'Grandma,'" the family wrote, describing sleepovers, sick-day comforts and summer afternoons filled with candy, gas-station treats, Pringles, apple slices with salt and the occasional cold can of Mountain Dew. Stone kept every piece of artwork her granddaughters made and passed on a steady appetite for puzzles, crosswords and Chinese checkers while meticulously scheduling television shows, often recruiting help to turn the antenna - figure skating was a favorite.

Her family expressed deep gratitude for the network that sustained her home life in later years. "The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the caregivers and healthcare workers from the tribe and family who lovingly looked after our 'old bat' and allowed her to remain on her throne at Rabbit Ridge for so many years," the statement reads. Additional thanks were extended to staff at ThedaCare - Shawano, Hospice and Birch Hill Nursing Home for care during her final days. Those acknowledgments underline how tribal, family and institutional care combined in Stone's final chapter.

Swedberg Funeral Home - Shawano is assisting the family with cremation. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 7, 2026, at St. Michael's Parish in Keshena. Memorial visitation is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., with a Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m.; food will follow. The Legacy and Swedberg listings include event details for the service, and family pages invite remembrances.

Stone's death resonates beyond a single family. Her ability to remain at home at Rabbit Ridge because of tribal and familial caregiving, supplemented by hospice and nursing-home support, illustrates the patchwork of services that rural Menominee County residents rely on as the population ages. The role of ThedaCare - Shawano and local nursing home and hospice resources highlights ongoing community dependence on limited health care capacity, workforce resilience and culturally grounded care models tied to the tribe.

As the community gathers at St. Michael's to remember Dolly, her story also points to policy questions local leaders and health planners face: how to sustain home-based care, support family caregivers and bolster hospice and long-term care capacity in a rural, tribal-serving county. For neighbors and kin, honoring her life will be part celebration and part recognition of the supports that allowed a beloved "Queen of Sass and Silly" to spend her final years close to home.