Delaine (Bassett) Highley descends from William Bassett of Plymouth as follows:
William Bassett and wife Elizabeth
William Bassett (b. 1624) and wife Mary Rainsford
William Bassett (b. 1656) and wife Rachel Willison
William Bassett (b. 1681) and wife Abigail Bourne
William Bassett (b. 1711) and wife Lydia Smith
Rufus Bassett (b. 1757) and wife Jedidah Handy
Nymphas Bassett (b. 1785 and wife Thankful Ann Bruce
Oliver C. Bassett (b. 1824) and wife Elizabeth Monroney
Marshall Bassett (b. 1858) and wife Sonorah J. Israel
Ernest Bassett (b. 1883) and wife Grace Lee Bass
Ralph J. (b. 1912) and wife Elizabeth Almeta Bassett
Marcia Delaine Bassett (b. 1933)
Chronicle Tribune, Marion, Indiana, December 4, 2019
Delaine Highley
Making a difference 239,000 miles above Earth!
When you look at the impact a person has, our December recipient of Grant Counties Celebrating Seniors wins for furthest distance of impact. In fact the distance of her impact stretches more than 239,000 miles from earth.
If you’re wondering the moon is about 239.000 miles above the earth.
Yes, Delaine Highley our December recipient has in impact on the moon. She has encouraged children to become involved in the Aero Space Program with NASA through Purdue University. Two of the children she motivated helped invent things like Tang! And a third became an air traffic controller.
While Highley has impacted space she has also done a lot to impact people in Grant County and Indiana.
Her career as a working mother raising two sons Robin Emmons and Tracy Emmons with four grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren started at Hopkins Music store, then on to Vita Vet Labs an assistant manager at Meshingomesia Country Club before spending 34 years with H&R Block preparing taxes.
But Highley’s true love came with her 25 years with Civil Air Patrol and working with teenagers in Aerospace Education. At one time she and her husband had the largest local Cadet Squadron in the State. She was active in search & rescue, was a certified navigator during this time and carried the rank of Lt. Col. She attended the Air Force Staff College in Montgomery Ala. During the 1965 tornado, she worked in Indianapolis coordinating Civil Defense activities with Civil Air Patrol & military agencies. She commanded seven summer encampments for teenagers at various military facilities, working with the Air Force on Aerospace Education curriculum for the cadets. She was the first woman Deputy Commander for the State of Indiana.
When her sons played sports in high school she was very active in the Parents Booster Club and served one year as President of that group.
She has been very active in her church work with First Friends Church. She has been the church pianist for over 50 years. She served as the church treasurer for 20 years. She directed the Sunday School orchestra, sang in the choir, taught a Sunday School class and has served on many committees in the church. She is currently chairman of a ladies group called Busy Hands, a service group that makes lap robes for various nursing homes, the VA Hospital, Wounded Warriors, Hospice groups, Gilead Cancer, Cancer Services, baby blankets for Marion General Hospital and many times for First Light. The group also knits baby hats for the MGH and hats for Coats for Kids.
For many years she sang with groups locally, played for weddings, funerals & whatever came along. She served as treasurer of the Board for the Walton Center Art Society, working with Dave Reece and Mark Draves.
She keeps busy visiting homebound people, transporting friends to Doctor’s appointments and needed errands.
Her advice to other seniors – “Keep busy, be mentors for young people let them know someone cares about them,” Highley said.
And Highley is busy – She use Facebook to stay in contact with her grandchildren and great grandchildren plus makes sure to attend as many of their school activities as possible.
So the next time you have a glass of Tang for breakfast, Thank Delaine as without her mentoring a student cadet the drink may never have been invented and wouldn’t have nourished an astronaut on their mission 239,000 miles away!
Congratulations to Delaine Highley our December Celebrating Seniors Recipient.