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- Frank Eugene and Maude Ethel (Comstock) Bassett F19
Frank Eugene Bassett was born in 1885 in Red Willow County, Nebraska to John William and Elsie Janes Bassett and came by covered wagon to the McPherson County area in 1888. His first home was in southeastern Grant County, Nebraska. Sometime after 1890, the family sold that property and moved to southwest Hooker County, just to southwest of Cody Lake. This was to enable Frank to attend school, located in Bassett Valley, Dist #5 McPherson County. When not in school he went with his father much of the time as he hunted and trapped wild game. On one occasion he met Buffalo Bill Cody who was a buffalo hunter also. Frank helped to gather wood and buffalo chips for fuel and picked wild fruit for his mother as well as helped in the garden and carried water from a well or nearby spring for drinking, washing, etc.
Since the family moved around quite, living on free land, it is not known where all Frank attended school but he was eager to learn and loved school. Some of his teachers were: Edna Winhurst, Virgil Shepherd, and Mabel Sanders. He received an 8th grade education and was asked to teach the Gardiner School which he declined, sometime about 1906. He started working for area ranchers at an early age so was not home much after that, especially during the summer.
After his father passed away in 1911, he helped his mother a great deal. He filed on a land claim east of A.J. Gragg's land in 1912 but sold it to adjoining neighbors in 1914 so he could help his mother when she filed on land west of A.J. Gragg's land. He helped build his mother's house to secure her land. Frank had known Maude when they were kids and had corresponded with her after she moved to Stockville with her folks. Frank and Maude Comstock were married in September 1917 at Mullen, Nebraska and moved to the Bob Phelps place which they leased and later bought in 1919. Children born to them were Richard Ray in 1918, Dorothy Irene in 1921, Opal Thelma in 1922 and Jean Marie in 1923. Frank continued to help his mother as his brothers Bob and Dell had gone into the army. The sisters, Cora and Minnie both worked away from home as did Clyde. He had cattle of his own and also did some farming.
In 1922, Frank's mother sold her land and they moved her house to the Phelps place where Frank and Maude lived. She lived there until her death in November 1924. She was buried at Eclipse Cemetery beside her husband John.
Frank carried mail for a time from Mullen south and did considerable road repair work throughout his life. He loved to camp and cook over a campfire. He taught many youngsters how to build a campfire and cook potatoes etc. over it. He had cooked for hay camp crews in his younger days. He cut timber on the Dismal River for fence posts and corrals, camping along the river for a week at a time. This was one of his greatest enjoyments. He could always manage to grow some potatoes and other vegetables during the summer for the family's winter food. He always shared with his neighbors and relatives. Frank was a great story teller and had a special talent for writing.
He bought the Roy Treton place containing 2 sections of land in 1940 and moved from the Phelps place about 4 miles to the east on the Treton place. By 1944, the family had gone to their own homes and work so he was left alone. He never had stock of his own, rather leased his land to neighbors and continued to live on the place until he fell in 1968 at which time he was brought to the Mullen Rest Home where he remained in a wheel chair until his death in 1974.
Frank was buried in the Eclipse Cemetery where he had spent much time planting trees and repairing the church. by Thelma Bassett Pearman
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Bassett Family Association Database
