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- WILLIAM BASSETT FAMILY
Told by Sadie Bassett to daughters, Eva Rallsback and Nona Moore
Our first ancestor, William Bassett, came to America from England in 1830. He and his wife, Jane (Pelham), and family settled in Huron Co., Ohio. Their children were: Edward, Elizabeth, William and Thomas (who served in the Civil War). They were all born in England. Then Lucy, George, Samuel, Henry, Maylam (who served in the Civil War) and Ellen were born in Ohio. He and his family farmed in Ohio until his death in 1862.
One son, Edward, married his first wife, Sarah Mortimer, August 23, 1847 in Ohio and she lived but a short time. They started moving west with other family members. The 1850 census does not include Sarah and we find Edward was living with the Mortimer family with his two year old son, John. He then married Elizabeth Mortimer February 17, 1852. She is buried at Eclipse Cemetery southwest of Mullen and he is too. Their children were: Thomas Mahlon married Edwine Howard, Sarah M. married to Isaac Shepherd, Nathan E. married to Emily Mortimore, Ellsworth married to Ellen Quick, Clara Jane married to Mitt Hogg, and Howard U. married to Catherine Gragg. The family moved from Ohio to northeastern Iowa, then to southwestern Iowa, near Shendandoah, then to McCook and then moved on into McPherson and Hooker Counties, sometime after 1872 and filed on homestead land.
Edward's oldest son, John W., was born in Ohio and was married to Adeline Fleming May 17, 1872. To this union one son, Birtrum, was born. They divorced and he then married Elsie Springer in Red Willow County, Nebraska, September 22, 1863. John and Elsie had the following children: Bessie Maud, who died in infancy and is buried at McCook, Cora Alice married Wm. Treandos, Frank who married Maude Bassett, Nathan E. who married Sadie Sager, Minnie who married Sam Musser, Delbert who did not marry, Robert married Ida Sterling, Clarence (Clyde) married Florence Lauden, and Margaret Mae who died when about eight years old in Hooker County. All of the children except Robert and Clyde spent their lives in the sandhills. John and Elsie are buried at Eclipse cemetery southwest of Mullen.
Nathan E. Bassett married Sadie Sager, July 20, 1915 at Maysville, Missouri and moved to Hooker County. We came to McPherson County, in 1929. Our family consisted of five girls, None E. married Herschel Moore; Blanche C., married Leo Miller and passed away on October 9, 1939. Eva F. married Henry Railsback, Ruby A., married twice, first to Howard Prentice and then to Mike Hunt, and Rita H. married Robert O'Neill.
The Bassett family had been in McPherson County since early days, there being the "Bassett" Valley in the nortwestern part of the county.
I remember well the tornado at Tryon in the summer of 1933, helping care for the dead and injured in the Rev. Largent home.
Nate carried the daily mail route (north) from 1934 through 1938.
The blizzard of 1949 in January was one to be remembered. Our sod house (built against the side of a hill) was completely covered with snow. My husband, Nate, scooped the snow into the kitchen in order to get a way out of the house to get to the stock. No mail for weeks and a lot of cattle perished because feed could not get to them beofre they starved. Many were buried in drifts.
Nate passed away in January 1975 and is buried at Miller Cemetery near Tryon.
1900 Federal Census of Whitewater Precint, McPherson County, NE (26 Jun 1900)
John W. Bassett 31 M Jul 1868 OH EN OH Head Farmer
Elsie J. 34 F Oct 1865 OH OH MO Wife
Frank E. 15 M Jun 1885 NE OH OH Son
Cora A. 11 F Nov 1888 NE OH OH Daughter
Nathan E. 8 M Dec 1891 NE OH OH Son
Minnie T. 7 F Jul 1892 NE OH OH Daughter
Delbert S. 5 M Apr 1895 NE OH OH Son
Robert E. 2 M Oct 1897 NE OH OH Son
(Married 15 years, 8 children, 7 living)
Nathan E. and Sadie C. (Sager) Bassett F21
Nathan "Nate", was he was known was born to John and Elsie Bassett December 1890 in Grant County, Nebraska. No school records are available but he did attend where and when there was a school available. Nate began working on area ranches at an early age and filed on a homestead receiving his patent in 1914. It was located 3 miles east of "Running Water Bridge" and included a portion of the North Dismal River and to the south cornering on the Ray Ireton Section on the northeast corner. It was a square section and not too many were fortunate enough to receive such a good location. He later sold it to Jubal Wright and it became part of the Boyce estate.
Nate married Sadie Sager at Maysville, Missouri in July 1915 returning to Hooker County where they worked on many crew ranches.
Their family consisted of 5 daughters, Nona Elsie who married Herschel Moore, Blanch Carrie, who married Leo Miller and who passed away October 1939, after the birth of their 2nd child; Eva Frances married Henry Railshack; Rulry Alice married Howard Prentice and later Mike Hunt; Rita Harriett, married Robert O'Neill.
The girls attended school wherever they worked until they were ready for high school at which time they resided in Tryon, Nebraska and the three older girls graduated from McPherson County High School. Nate carried the daily mail from Tryon north from 1934 to 1938. Nate began working for Vinton's during the summer months so the family moved to "Vinton's Camp" on the North Dismal River. Nate and the older girls rode horseback daily checking the cattle, windmills and scattering salt. During the haying season, Nate went to the main ranch to help hay and the girls looked after the cattle.
Ruby and Rita both graduated from Mullen High School. Sadie and the girls would spend their winters in Mullen then go back to the country during the summer. Nate built a sod house into a hillside at "Running Water Bridge" in about 1939 or '40 when Rita was still small.
In 1949, the snow completely covered Nate's house and he had to scoop the snow back into the house until he could get a pathway cut through it to get out and get to his livestock. He continued to scatter salt and check wells for Vintons for many years while living there. He pastured his cattle with Vintons during the summer.
Nate and Sadie continued to live there after the children were all gone until ill health forced them to move back to Tryon where they purchased a home to be near Nina. Nate passed away in January 1975 and was buried at Miller Cemeter near Tryon. Sadie sold the property and moved to the Pawnee Retirement Hotel in North Platte, Nebraska where she lived until she fell and had to be placed in Badon Manor Nursing Home. She is now confined to a wheel chair with failing eyesight at age 84.
Father Mike adopted them as his family and spent much time with them picking fruit along the river for Sadie. He checked on them after each storm while they lived at the "Soddy on the Dismal". He visits Sadie in North Platte regularly. By Thelma Bassett Pearman
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Bassett Family Association Database
1890 - 1975 (85 years)