Bassett Family Association Database

William Riley Bass

Male 1862 - 1948  (86 years)


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  • Name William Riley Bass 
    Born 15 Sep 1862  Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 19 Nov 1948  Monticello, San Juan County, Utah Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • The San Juan Record, Monticello, Utah, November 25, 1948
      William Riley Bass

      William Riley Bass was born Jan. 15, 1862 at Andalusia, Alabama. He passed away Nov. 19 1948 after a period of illness at the age of 86years, 10 months, and four days. His parents were killed when he was a young boy and he was reared by a grandmother.
      Sixty-two years ago he was married to Frances E. Collins. To them were born 11 children, six of whom are still living.
      The Bass family moved to La Sal, Utah, in 1916 and have resided there ever since. Mr. Bass had the respect of those who knew him. The sympathy of friends go to the family in their loss.
      Left to mourn the passing of a loved one are the widow, Mrs. Frances Bass; Mrs. J.W. Harris of Price; Mrs. Merrill Stevens of Blanding; Mrs. A. B. Barton, Monticello; John R. Bass, Brenham, Texas; and Ben and Dan Bass, of West Lake, La.; 27 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

      The Andalusia Star-News, Alabama, Saturday, May 7, 2016
      William Riley Bass came from Saratoga, Texas

      The Bass family of Covington County is a very large and influential one. Its history with considerable genealogy has been presented several years earlier in this column.

      New data research by a younger descendant, Nicholas Bruce Bass, provides a source for an update on this family.
      He completed his comprehensive compilation entitled Bass Family Record in December 2015.
      Some of the earliest ancestors of the Bass family were identified, which were not readily known when the earlier columns were written.
      The earliest one according to Nicholas was Thomas Bilondeau Basse who married Marie Genevieve Belanger.
      They had a son, William Basse (1480-1539), who married Rosalie Benoite and had a son, Joseph Basse (1500-1534), who married Josephine Pilotte. This couple had a son, William Basse (1520-1616), who married Mary Larkin (1525-1616), and had a son named Humphrey Benjamin Basse (1565-1616) who married Mary Buschier (1568-1616).
      Their son, Nathaniel Basse (1589-1654) married Mary Jordan (1592-1630) and had a son, John Basse (1616-1699), who married Elizabeth Bass (1618-1676) and had a son, William Basse (1654-1741) who married Katherine Lanier (1655-1692). William and Katherine had John Bass Sr. (1673-1731) who married Love Harris (1678-1731) and had John Bass Jr. (1696-1777) who married Elizabeth Winborne (1706-1777).
      They in turn were the parents of Isaac Bass (1736-1802) who married Nancy Ann Bunch (1738-1811) and had a son, John Augustine Bass Sr. (1767-1822).
      John Augustine Bass Sr. was married to Lydia Mildred Sikes (1760-1845), and among their children was a son named Wilson Bennett Bass.
      Wilson was born in 1785 in Nash County, N.C. and died in 1850 in Andalusia, Ala.
      He was married to Susannah Bass (1790-1850) who was also a native of North Carolina.
      This couple had only three known children, but they were the ancestors of many descendants who resided in Covington County.
      The children were Bennett Bridges Bass Sr., b. 1808, d. 1866 or 1874, m. Mary Elizabeth Hogg; William Riley, b. 1824, d. 1864, m. Mary Straughn; and Nancy, b. 1824, d. 1885, m. Bill Padgett.
      Bennett Bridges and Mary Elizabeth Bass reared the following children: Mary Elizabeth, b. 1838, d. 1912, m. (1) William Teel (1841-1863) (2) John Wilson Ramer (1842-1916); Wilson Bennett II, b. 1840, d. 1864, m. Jane Teel (1839-1864); Nancy, b. 1842, d. 1916, m. James Teel; Levina Winny, b. 1843, d. 1866; Holland Middleton ?Holly,? b. 1845, d. 1934; James Hilliard, b. 1847, d. 1864; Bennett Bridges Jr., b. 1848, d. 1930; Elizabeth, b. 1850, d. 1943, m. Jake Ramer; Martha Jane, b. 1852, d. 1943; and William Riley II, b. 1854, d. 1933, m. Nancy Jane Ward (1860-1945).
      Wilson Bennett?s second son, William Riley Bass, and his wife, Mary (Straughn), reared the following five children: James W., b. 1848; John, b. 1850, single; William M., b. 1852, d. 1913, m. Abbie Welch; Bennett B., b. 1855; and Riley, b. 1856, d. 1915, single.
      In the next generation of this family, Bennett Bridges Bass Sr.?s son, Wilson Bennett Bass II, was married to Jane Teel in 1857.
      Within a few years in 1864 he was killed by Confederate soldiers while he was crossing Boggy Bayou in Niceville, Fla., with his brother, James Bass, and brother-in-law, James Teel, trying to reach the Union line.
      James Bass was also killed and James Teel was shot through the thigh, which resulted in him being crippled for the remainder of his life.
      Wilson Bennett Bass II was 24 years old at the time of his unfortunate death, so he left a young widow with two young sons: Benjamin Wilson ?Ben,? b. 1860, d. 1935, m. Matilda Hall; and William Riley ?Bill,? b. 1862, d. 1948, m. Frances Elizabeth Collins.
      His widow, Jane, took her sons and returned to her mother?s, Anna (Padgett) Teel, home in Andalusia.
      About three months later she and three others were crossing Pensacola Bay to attend a wedding when a strong wind arose, which caused the boat to capsize.
      Jane was drowned, which left the two young sons as orphans.
      She was buried beside her husband in Niceville.
      From this point the family of the above young son, William Riley Bass, will be featured.
      His life was a difficult one from the beginning with him losing his father and mother in such tragic and untimely events.
      His grandmother Teel who was about 63 years of age was left to care for him and his brother.
      In addition she was caring for the orphaned children of her son, John Teel.
      She was fortunate to have the assistance of her unmarried daughter, Martha Teel.
      William Riley Bass?s uncle, Richard Teel, migrated to Saratoga, Tex., in 1860 where he became the second settler in that area.
      He soon enlisted and served in the Confederate Army during the War Between the States.
      He survived, returned home and soon built a new house for his family in 1867.
      Then he sent for his mother and all the children she had in her household as well as her daughter, Martha.
      Their joining this family made for a very large one since Richard and his wife had 11 children of their own.
      Anna Teel and her brood left Andalusia and traveled to Brewton, the location of the nearest railroad station.
      There they boarded a train which took them to New Orleans.
      The train was run onto a ship on which they sailed around the Gulf of Mexico to a port in Galveston, Texas.
      From there they traveled up the Trinity River to Liberty, Tex., where some of Richard Teel?s family met them. From there they traveled overland to Richard?s home at Saratoga.
      The large family apparently got along well and enjoyed being together.
      When William Riley Bass was grown he was married to Frances Elizabeth Collins, daughter of James Madison Collins and Caroline (Mathews). Frances was born in 1866 in Jones County, Miss., as the third of 13 children. Her parents moved the family to Texas where they settled in the ?Old Hardin? community of Hardin County.
      This site was located between Saratoga and Kountae, which was the county seat.
      The family later moved north of Saratoga to a site near Livingston in Polk County.
      William and Frances?s first home was in a log house on a homestead in the White Oaks community where around 20 families resided in a six to seven mile radius.
      Each family owned at least 160 acres of land and made their living by farming.
      They grew most of their own food and only bought basic items such as flour, sugar and coffee.
      They purchased these in large quantities such as a 100 pound barrel of flour that might last a full year.
      They survived on a heavy diet of cornbread, which they had from corn ground at a gristmill.
      William Riley eventually sold his farm to an oil company, but they allowed him to continue to farm it.
      He did invest in a grocery and mercantile store in Saratoga, but he didn?t receive much income from it.
      He then decided to buy his partner?s share and operate the business himself.
      The family moved to town and lived in quarters over the store.
      He soon realized he was a better farmer than store manager, so he went back to farming.
      The source for this writing was the book compiled by Nicholas Bruce Bass entitled Bass Family Record, which was completed in December 2015.
      He reported that the genealogy of the William Riley Bass family was provided by Kris Crowther, a great, great granddaughter of William Riley Bass.
      Appreciation is expressed to these two Bass descendants for sharing their research.
      Anyone having corrections or questions regarding this writing is requested to contact this writer, Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.


      The Andalusia Star-News, Alabama, May 14, 2016
      William Riley Bass?s descendants lived in several states

      The ancestors of William Riley and Frances Elizabeth (Colline) Bass were outlined in last week?s column.
      Today, the first group of their children and grandchildren will be featured.
      This family lived primarily in the Saratoga area of Texas and later moved to Utah, Louisiana and Arkansas.
      William Riley and Frances Elizabeth, daughter of James Madison Collins and Catherine (Mathews), reared the following children: Mary Susannah, b. 1890, d. 1919, m. James H. Wilcox (1855-1939); Eliza Jane, b.&d. 1891; Allen Milford, b. 1893, d. 1944, m. Minie Horton Nordyke (1881-1930); John Riley, b. 1895, d. 1978, m. Viola Mae Shaw (1896-1968); Daniel Materson, b. 1897, d. 2000, m. (1) Ione Shafer (1893-1919) (2) Katherine Gladys Lee (1907-1985); Benjamin Edward, b. 1900, d. 1956, m. Hazel Mae Laughlin (1912-1945); Mary Etta, b. 1903, d. 1993, m. Joseph Doyle Harris (1886-1966); Etta Mary , b. 1903, d. 1986, m. Alexander Gilbert Ralston (1876-1935); Joseph Carson, b. 1905, d. 1925; Eva Elizabeth, b. 1907, d. 1999, m. Leonard Merrill Stevens (1907-1993); and Martha, b.&d. 1909.
      The oldest child, Mary Susannah met with an untimely death.
      When her mother was helping in the field, she was left to tend the younger children and the cooking.
      Since this was done over an open fireplace, on one occasion while she was stirring a pot, her dress caught fire and she ran to her parents in the field who rolled her in the dirt to extinguish the fire.
      She was badly burned over her lower body, and all they had to treat it with was crude oil.
      She recovered to some degree, but was left with a painful open sore.
      Then she died at 29 years of age of cancer and was the first burial in the La Sal Cemetery.
      The next child, Eliza Jane only lived a short time.
      Her birth was followed by the first son, Milford Allen Bass, who grew up working on the farm and helping in the family store. He experienced an unfortunate accident when he was about 17 years of age.
      His brother, John, was teasing him with a small pistol a friend had given him claiming it was unloaded.
      However, when John pretended to shoot him, the gun fired hitting Milford in the mouth and the bullet lodging over one ear.
      The doctor was able to remove it, and fortunately Milford had an amazing recovery.
      He returned to school and took exams to receive his graduation certificate.
      He then worked odd jobs until he moved to Oil City, La., to work in oil fields.
      While there he met Minie Horton Nordyke, who was operating a boarding house for the oil workers.
      They were married and their first child, William Andrew, was born in 1921.
      Four years later their daughter, Sarah Francis was born in 1925, but she died soon afterwards.
      Milford died in 1944 at 51 years of age.
      The next son, John Riley Bass, lived most of his youth in Saratoga of Hardin County, Texas.
      In 1916 he was married to Viola Mae Shaw in Batson, Texas.
      They had the following five children: Joyce Imogene, b. 1917; Dorothy, b.&d. 1919; Margaret, b.&d. 1920; twins, Glenn Donald ?Son? or ?Johnny,? b. 1922, d. 1970, and Gwendolyn ?Sister,? b. 1922.
      John worked mostly in the oil fields all over Texas and Louisiana and became highly regarded as an ?oil digger,?
      After retiring from this work he bought a farm near Brenham, Texas, in Washington County and moved there.
      He did not like farming, but he developed a dairy and had others to operate it.
      He had joined the LDS Church as early as 1904, and he also became a Mason, in which he was active for more than 50 years. At his death in 1978, he was buried in the Guedry Cemetery at Batson Prairie in Hardin County.
      The next son, Daniel Materson Bass, was born in 1897 when the family was living on the farm near Saratoga. The family moved in 1904 to the Town of Saratoga and lived over the store, which his father operated. Daniel secured his first job when he was only nine years old riding his newly acquired bicycle to sell Grit and The Saturday Evening Post as well as delivering telegrams for the telephone company. A few years later he delivered groceries and then at 17 years of age he was hired to work for W.P. Vicks?s Machine Shop. He continued there until the family moved to Utah in 1916. His parents had become Mormans or members of the LDS Church and were shunned by many in their community. A Morman missionary told William Riley Bass that he could homestead 160 acres of land in Utah for very little money. The older son, Milford, helped the family finance the move, and upon arrival they stayed temporarily in a log cabin with church members assisting them with provisions during that stay. The family soon moved to La Sal to claim the quarter section of land and begin a new life.
      Dan soon gained a job driving stage line cars for the railroad. Late in 1917 he met Ione Shafer, and they were soon married.
      She was active in the church, and he was ordained an elder in 1918. He then took a job as a mechanic with the U.S. Indian Service Agency in Miton, Utah.
      That Christmas the couple went to spend the holidays with Ione?s family, and most of the family fell victim to the flu epidemic. Ione, who was pregnant and fatally ill, soon died and was buried with her premature son in her arms. Dan returned to Miton and worked to pay off all his debts. He then worked odd jobs until he went with the family in Utah to visit Milford and family in El Dorado, Ark.
      Enroute to Milford?s the family went by Mexia, Tex., to visit John Bass, a son, and later Dan, Ben and Joe found jobs there also. In 1923 Dan?s work took him to Lockport, La. Early in 1924 he met a young lady named Katherine Gladys Lee. After a brief courtship they were married that year in Lake Charles, La.
      They moved around for a couple of years and then returned to Lockport.
      His brother, Joe, drowned there in 1925 while swimming in a local river.
      On the very next day, their first child, Katherine, was born, m. Kenneth L. Blume; Dan Jr., b. 1926, m. Dorothy Victoria Farris; Ray Leonard, b. 1928; and Kenneth Riley, b. 1938.
      In 1926, Dan and John and their families made a trip to Utah to visit their parents, and two sisters, Evvie and children and Etta returned with them to Louisiana.
      The additional children in this family will be presented in next week?s column.
      The source for this writing was the book compiled by Nicholas Bruce Bass entitled Bass Family Record, which was completed in December 2015.
      He reported that the genealogy of the William Riley Bass family was provided by Kris Crowther, a great-great granddaughter of William Riley Bass.
      Appreciation is expressed to these two Bass descendants for sharing their research.
      Anyone having corrections or questions regarding the above is requested to contact this writer, Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.


      The Andalusia Star-News, Alabama, Saturday, May 21, 2016
      Addition Bass Family descendants outlined

      In last week?s column, the first five children of William Riley and Frances Elizabeth (Collins) Bass were introduced. Their children were named and a brief biographical account of their lives was presented. In today?s writing, the same will be done for the additional six children.
      The fourth son of William Riley and Frances Elizabeth, Benjamin Edward Bass, was described by his daughter as being ?sensitive and caring? and always constructively teaching his children. He was 16 years old when the family moved to Utah, but he later moved to Louisiana to find employment and lived near his brother, Dan. He was married to Hazel Mae Laughlin, and they had the following two children: Louise, b. 1933, m. John Harrell; and Benjamin ?Ben,? b. 1938.
      The third daughter, Mary Etta, was a twin to her sister, Etta Mary. She was 13 years of age when the family moved to Utah. When she finished the eighth grade, the highest level of education offered in Saratoga, she and her twin sister moved to Moab where they worked in several hotels performing various tasks such as making beds. In 1920 she met J.D. Harris, and they were married in 1921. They soon bought their first house, which was furnished, in Price, Utah. J.D.?s first wife had died during the flu epidemic, and he was left with their four children: Lyman, Doyle, Bill and Alene. The three boys eventually came to live with him and Mary Etta.
      J.D. and Mary Etta Harris had the following 10 children born to them : Vincent Paul, b. 1922; Leo P., d. 1997; Joseph Riley, b.&d. 1926; Mary Patricia; David Joseph, d. 1977; Michael James; Mary Etta; Bernadetta; John Paul; and Robert Thomas, b.&d. 1946. In 1939 the family had moved to Carbonville, where J.D. and their sons had moved their three-bedroom house in two parts. In 1947, Mary had a serious operation, and afterwards the doctor advised she was not to do any hard work. This led to her gaining her GED and later earning a two-year certificate in business administration. Her sons help her attend the University of Utah to earn a teaching degree. After teaching several years and retiring at the age of 65 years, she moved to Norwalk, Cal., and later to a retirement home in Los Angeles.
      The twin sister, Etta Mary, was born in the White Oak community near Saratoga of Hardin County, Tex. She moved after the eighth grade to Moab to secure employment with her sister. She was later married to Alexander Gilbert Ralston with whom she had two children: Jean, b. 1922, d. 2005, m. William Gresko (1917-2007); and Mark, b. 1923, d. 1936. Alexander died in 1935 in Denver, Col., and Etta lived until 1986.
      The youngest son, Joseph Carson Bass, was around 11 when the family moved to Utah. He finished his schooling in La Sal and then helped his father on the ranch. When the family made the trip to visit his brother, Dan, in Arkansas, Joe obtained a job in the oil fields with his brothers. In 1925 he was married to Winetta Cash, but he drowned 11 days later while swimming with his brothers in the Calcasieu River. He was an excellent swimmer, but some freak accident happened to cause his death.
      The youngest living daughter, Eva ?Evvie? Elizabeth, was barely nine when the family moved to Utah. When she finished what schooling was offered in La Sal, she moved to Moab where she stayed with families to allow her to complete high school. Circa 1925 she went home with her brothers to Huntsville, Tex., where she earned a degree from Sam Houston Teachers College. Her first year of teaching was in a one-room school in San Juan County. In 1938 she met Merrill Stevens, a LDS missionary. After finishing his mission, they bought his father?s ranch in Dodge Point and built a house in Blanding. They had the following five children: Merrillyn, b. 1939; John Edward, b. 1940; William Reed, b. 1942; Mildred, b. 1944; and Harold Owen, b. 1946. After Evvie retired from teaching, they moved near Merrillyn home in St. George and did mission work.
      This completes the coverage as planned for the William Riley Bass family including his children and grandchildren. Anyone interested in further information may contact Nik Bass at his email address: nikbass@gmail.com.
      The source for today?s column was the book compiled by Nicholas Bruce ?Nik? Bass entitled Bass Family Record, which was completed in December 2015. He reported that the genealogy of the William Riley Bass family was provided by Kris Crowther, a great, great granddaughter of William Riley Bass. Appreciation is expressed to these two Bass descendants for sharing their research.
      Anyone having corrections or questions regarding the above is requested to contact this writer, Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.


    Person ID I46647  1A William Bassett of Plymouth
    Last Modified 18 Oct 2020 

    Father Wilson Bennett Bass,   b. 17 Feb 1840,   d. 1864  (Age 23 years) 
    Mother Jane Teel,   b. 1839,   d. 1869  (Age 30 years) 
    Family ID F16866  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Frances Elizabeth Collins,   b. 22 Apr 1866, Paulding, Jasper County, Mississippi Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 14 Jul 1949, Monticello, San Juan County, Utah Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years) 
    Children 
     1. Susan Mary Bass,   b. 26 Oct 1889, Hardin County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Sep 1919, Utah Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 29 years)
     2. Allen Milford Bass,   b. 11 Aug 1893,   d. 18 Sep 1944  (Age 51 years)
     3. John Riley Bass,   b. 1895,   d. 1978  (Age 83 years)
    +4. Daniel Masterson Bass,   b. 23 Nov 1897, Hardin County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Jan 2000, Many, Sabine Parish, Louisiana Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 102 years)
    +5. Benjamin Edward Bass,   b. 1899
     6. Etta Mary Bass,   b. 14 Jan 1903, Hardin County, Texas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 May 1986, Gilbert, Maricopa County, Arizona Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years)
     7. Joseph Carson Bass,   b. 1905
     8. Eva Elizabeth Bass,   b. 1907
    Last Modified 18 May 2020 
    Family ID F16882  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart