| Notes |
- Simpson County, Kentucky, Families Past and Present (198
NEELY - BASSETT
Dr. Bud Wilkins Neely (1882-1951), a descendant of one of Franklin's
first families, was born the youngest of ten children to Richard Wilkins Neely
(1834-1915) and Susan A. (Jones) Neely (1838-1915). The four sisters, w
adored him, liked to say that "Mama" ran out of names when he came along so
they dubbed him "Buddie". Professionally he was known as Dr. B.W. Neel
Dr. Neely's sisters and brothers were Frances Neely, married Dr. Louis
A. LaGarde, buried in Arlington Cemetery; Lillie Neely (1859-1934), married
Thomas Minor Ellis (1857-1934); Nettie Neely (1862-1936) married W.E. Crow
(1859-1932); Nancy Rebecca "Babe" Neely (1864-1963) married J. Fisher Leake
(1867-1942); Charles Henry Neely (1869-1910) married Ora Stuart (1869-1951);
Thomas L. Neely (1874-1941) married Annetta Knapp (1875-1962); Richa
Neely (1878-1942) married Victoria Louisa Clark (b. 1891); James Bush and John
Wesley Neely died in infancy. All of the above, other than Frances LaGarde,
are buried in Greenlawn Cemetery.
In 1904 Dr. Bud Neely graduated from the Louisville College of
Dentistry where he was a member of PSI Omega Fraternity. He later took post-
graduate work at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Neely practiced dentistry in East
Tennessee for a period of time. He returned home to Franklin and opened
his office over Houston-Black's Drugstore. Later, he purchased a building on
the south side of the square, known as the Neely Building. Dr. Neely converted
the second floor into office rooms. He practiced dentistry here full time or
semi-retired until his death in 1951.
Dr. and Mrs. Neely enjoyed traveling and would take months off each
year, other than the war years, for this pleasure. After a post-World War II
European trip in 1949, he spent most of his time caring for his real estate
and farming interests which brought great pleasure to him.
Mary Esther Bassett (1885-1977) was born, the first of three children,
to William Noble Bassett (1863-1943) and Ona May (Salla) Bassett (1868-1966),
in Shelby Co., IN. Her sister Margaret Lynn (1887-1975) married Dr. Charles
Herbert Bruner. Her brother James Noble (1892-1956) married Myrtle House.
Mary Esther's maternal grandparents were Melvin Noble Salla (1835-
1906) and Margaret Elizabeth (Campbell) Salla (1838-1901); her maternal great-
grandparents were Lewis Salla (1798-1879) and Juliana (Gordon) Salla (1807-
1875); maternal great-great-grandparents were James Salla and Juldah (Grant)
Salla and William Gordon II (1779-1860) and Elizabeth (Kelly) Gordon (1786-
1862). Her great-great-great grandparents were William Gordon I (born 1740 in
Ireland d. 1779 in Va.) and Mary (Duedworth) Gordon (b. 1731 in England - d.
1822 in Indiana). William Gordon I and Mary Duedworth were also her paternal
ancestors.
Mary Esther Bassett's paternal grandparents were James M. Basse
(1840-1924) and Clara Clarinda (Norville) Bassett (1841-1909); great
grandparents were Sylvester Bassett (1814-1902) and Susan (Monroney) Bassett
(1818-1899); and Thomas Norville and Lucinda (Hankins) Norville. Her
great-great-grandparents were Nymphas Bassett (b. 1782) and Thankful Ann
(Bruce) Bassett and Robert Hankins and Sarah Jane (Curry) Hankins. Her
great-great-great-grandparents were Thomas Curry and Alcie (Gordon) Curry.
(Alcie Gordon was the daughter of Mary Bassett Neely's maternal great-great-
great-grandparents, William Gordon I and Mary (Duedworth) Gordo
Mary Esther Bassett came to Franklin to teach at the Franklin Female
College in 1907. She graduated in 1905 from the Cincinnati Conservatory of
Music, where she studied piano, voice, flute and elocution. She received the
Medal of Honor for her work at the Conservatory. Following her graduation, she
spent two years on the Chautauqua Circuit as an accompanist for a violinist
and also as a narrator.
A resident of Franklin heard Miss Bassett perform in Paducah, KY, and
recommended her to the college. She taught elocution (the art of speaking and
gesturing), Ancient History, and physical education. Many of Miss Bassett's
pupils were young ladies of the community who were near her own age. Th
later served together in civic and church affairs. Her pupils would often tell
her family of the many pleasant afternoons they would walk off the hill on
College Street (the street on which their teacher was to live all her married
life), to stroll around the square with her as their chaperone. They loved and
admired her beauty, intellect, and wit, often standing in awe of her talents.
At the end of her second year of teaching, Mary Bassett resigned to
study at the Boston Conservatory of Music. Many hours were spent that summer
of 1909 in Indiana, getting clothes packed for Boston, but other interests had
been taking place that summer. Dr. Neely had made more than one trip to
Indiana in pursuit of her hand. A few days before she was to leave for Boston,
she announced that she was going to marry Dr. Neely.
Thursday afternoon, Oct. 14, 1909, at 4:00 o'clock, Mary Esther
Bassett and Dr. Bud Wilkins Neely were married among autumn foliage and
flowers at the farm home of her parents in Morristown, IN.
Mrs. Neely was welcomed to Franklin into the church, civic and social
affairs of the day. She especially gave her talents and time to the Mus
Club, encouraging and developing music appreciation in the community. T
years later she returned to Morristown to the farm home where she was born and
married to wait the birth of their only child. On September 13, 1911, Bassett
Wilkins Neely was born.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1882 - 1951 (69 years)