Sentence:  Bowed heads, Aunt Ellen's, Aunt Laura's, her sister's — bowed but <WSD>askancing</WSD> her yellow dress — yes, yellow, golden yellow, hue of sun and life, Dad's favorite, to see him off on this, his greatest journey. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To look at (someone or something) with a sideways glance.