Boone County, KY - Bios: Lassing, Judge John M. Monday, July 2, 2001 Submitted by: Buddy & Linda Harbin Grubbs, Boone County, Kentucky: lharbing@worldnet.att.net ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************ Supplement To The Boone County Recorder, Illustrated Historical Edition, R. E. Berkshire, Publisher, Burlington, Kentucky, Thursday, September, 4, 1930 Judge John M. Lassing John Maurice Lassing, eldest son of Dr. H. C. and Anna E. Lassing, was born at Elm Tree near Union in 1864. He received his elementary education in the common schools of Boone County and his collegiate course at Central University, Richmond, Kentucky, from which he graduated in 1886. For the next two years he taught school and studied law in his spare time under Fountain Riddell, an eminent lawyer practicing at Burlington. To complete this study he entered the Cincinnati Law School in 1889 finishing the regular two year course in one year graduating with the class of 1890 rankling seventh among a total of ninety students. He at once entered the practice of law at Burlington and became actively identified with Democratic politics in Boone County and the Sixth Congregational District. In 1891 he was elected to the office of County Attorney which position he held for the three- year term fixed under the new constitution. At the expiration of this term he was reelected in ‘94 and held this office until the death of John W. Green, Circuit Judge in this District when Mr. Lassing was appointed Circuit Judge resigning the office of County Attorney. He was elected to this office by the people at the November election following his appointment and at the expiration of this term was reelected. Judge Lassing held this office until Judge Thomas H. Paynter, who represented this district on the Appellate Court Bench, was elected to the United States Senate creating a vacancy on the Appellate Court from this district. Judge Lassing was appointed to fill that vacancy and held under this appointment until the next regular election when he was nominated by the Democratic party and elected for the remainder of that term when he was again nominated and elected for a full term. He held this office until impaired health caused him to resign. He held each of the above mentioned offices approximately seven years, thus giving him twenty one years of public service along the lines of his chosen profession. His political record is unique and perhaps without parallel having been twice elected to each of three offices and having voluntarily resigned each. Shortly after locating in Burlington Judge Lassing married Mary Lillard Brady, youngest daughter of Robert A. and Susan Brady. They have three sons, Warren and Robert who are located in Florida and John Jr., who resides in Burlington. All three of the sons are married. The Judge has two grandchildren---June, daughter of Robert and Jennie May, and Mary Lina, daughter of John Jr. and Ruth. Judge Lassing was, for many years, quite active in State politics having charge of Democratic Headquarters with Gov. McCreary in the management of the Beckman-Yerkes campaign which was perhaps the most hotly contested of all Kentucky gubernatorial campaigns. He likewise managed the successful campaigns of Gov. McCreary in his race for the United States Senate and after the campaign of Judge Paynter for that same office. It has been said of Judge Lassing that he never lost a fight where he was given exclusive control of its management. Since his retirement from the bench he has spent his winters in Florida and has ceased his political activities. He has devoted most of his time to improvement of the roads in Boone County and the network of federal and state highways being laid out in this county stand as testimonial to his ability along those lines.