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- The Twice-a-week Providence Enterprise
Tuesday, November 5, 1929
James P. Bassett (Smith, Claycombe)
Curtis Coffman (Plemmons, Kirkwood, Gass)
Bassett and Coffman Accidentally Killed
James P. Bassett, mine inspector of the West Kentucky Coal Company of this place, was instantly killed Monday afternoon about 1 o'clock at the Shamrock mines and Curtis Coffman was so seriously injured that he died nine hours later in the Walker hospital, Evansville, to which he had been rushed for treatments. From information on hand it appears that Bassett had started out to go on an inspection of the mine shafts and had boarded a "trip" section of cars used underground, accompanied by Coffman. While riding along the tunnel they were crushed by the head-on rush of another train of cars that had become disconnected and were running wild. Coffman is thought to have escaped instant death by jumping from the cars he was driving as the runaway "trip" and his own crashed. Bassett was caught between the cars and crushed to death. Both men were married. Bassett being survived by his widow, Nannie, two sons, James and William, and a daughter, Marjorie, all of this place; his mother, Mrs. Gus A. Bassett; three brothers, J.C. Bassett of Earlington, T.P. Bassett of Spokane, Washington, and Lawrence Bassett of this place; a sister, Mrs. Curtis Smith, of Benton, Ill. Mr. Bassett will be remembered as having been a candidate for sheriff at the August primary, was a mason, and a very prominent citizen of this community. Funeral services were conducted at the Presbyterian church at 2 o'clock Tuesday. Rev. J.F. Claycombe, former pastor of the Presbyterian church here, conducted services. Interment was made at the Big Hill cemetery, with burial being conducted by his brother masons. Coffman was only 23 years of age and was employed as a miner at the Shamrock mines. He is survived by his widow and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Coffman; three sisters, Mrs. Ross Plemmons, Mrs. George Plemmons, and Mrs. James Kirkwood; three brothers, Denver, Chester and Cris all of this place. Funeral services are to be conducted at the Victory Baptist church Wednesday afternoon at 1 o'clock with Rev. George H. Gass conducting the services. Interment will be made at Lakeview cemetery.
Hopkins County, Kentucky
Volume I - 1988
Gustavus Adolphus Bassett
Gustavus Adolphus "Gus" Bassett, youngest child of Elijah Bassett and his wife, Mary O'Rear Pearl, was born 11 Aug. 1855 in Bracken County, KY. He came to Hopkins County when he was four months old. When he was nine, his father, who had served as sheriff in Bracken County, was shot and killed. Four months later his mother died and Gus then lived with his sister, Sallie Bassett Williams.
On 25 Feb. 1879, Gus married Misher Izora "Odie" Cunningham, daughter of Joseph Misher Cunningham and Mary Louis Payne. Both of her parents died when she was very young and she was reared by uncle, Thomas Buford "Uncle Bufe" Payne. For the first year of their marriage, Gus and Odie lived on the Williams farm northeast of Providence but then bought their own farm on Clear Creek in Hopkins County. It was here that they reared their children and lived for the next 48 years until his death on 10 Mar. 1929. Later Odie moved to Benton, IL, and lived with her daughter. She died there 7 Jan. 1961 at the age of 102.
Their children were James Payne, Edgar Karr, Jeff, John Corliss, Karr Pearl, Beryl O'Rear and Lawrence Rogers Bassett. James Payne Bassett was born 12 Dec. 1879 and married Nancy Macy Baker on 25 Sept. 1906. They had three children: James Baker, William Kerr, and Marjorie. James Payne Bassett owned a livery stable in Providence and later had coal mines in Webster and Hopkins Counties. He was killed in a mine accident on 4 Nov. 1929. The next two little boys of Gus and Odie, "Little Eddie" and Jeff, died young.
They then had twin boys: John Corliss "Bill" and Karr Pearl Bassett, born 20 Sept. 1891. After World War I army service in the A.E.F., Bill worked for many years for St. Bernard and West Kentucky Coal Companies. Thereafter he served as Postmaster in Earlington for over twenty years. He was commander of the Earlington American Legion Post and also served as District Commander of the Legion. He was one of the founders and served as president of the Brown Meadow Lake Fishing Club. He married Elizabeth Zona Hearin on 7 July 1925. She began teaching school when she was a teenager and received her degree many years later from West Kentucky University after attending summer school almost every year. She was a devoted and talented teacher and served in the Earlington schools for most of her 50 year teaching career. Bill died on 20 Aug. 1965 and Zona on 17 Feb. 1985. They had no children. Karr married Mina Marie Van Metre on 8 Jul 1917 and they spent most of their married life in Washington state. He was Tax Assessor in Spokane for many years. They had four children: Winston Adolphus, Elanor Izora, Karlene Marie and Bette June. Karr died 24 Nov. 1963.
Beryl O'Rear Bassett, the only daughter of Gus and Odie, was born 28 Dec. 1893. She married on 5 Sept. 1914 Curtis E. Smith, who visited Providence as a member of the Benton, IL, Silver Cornet Band that played at the county fair. He became a lawyer and she worked in his abstract office for many years. They had two daughters, Berylene Bassett and Sue Carol. Beryl now lives with her daughter, Sue Smith Hawkins in Mobile, AL.
Lawrence Rogers Bassett was born on 23 Aug. 1896 and married Pauline Bullock on 3 Apr. 1923. They lived near Henderson, KY, where he had a large farm a few miles east of town. Lawrence died on 9 Feb. 1967. They had two children: Emma Jean and Robert Lawrence.
Gus Bassett was a hard worker and a good farmer; however, he managed to utilize his love of hunting and fishing and his gregarious nature to supplement the income from the usual corn and tobacco crops. His fish nets on Weirs and Clear Creeks provided fish to "peddle" in town along with hams, vegetables and his famous watermelons and cantaloupes. He enjoyed socializing with his adult customers but he delighted even more having some "Penny" melons for poor eager children who followed his wagon.
The Gus Bassett place on the Dalton Road was known for its hospitality. The annual family reunion brought Cunningham, Payne, Rogers, Smith, Tapp and other kin from Madisonville, Manitou and Nebo, but the Bassett farm was known best as a year-round gathering place for young people. The boys came to hunt and fish with the Bassett boys, and Beryl's friends came to see the boys. Gus Bassett was a tall, strong man and his wife, Odie, was a tiny but energetic woman. She stayed busy cooking and feeding the company that was always there to enjoy the good food of the family dinner table. When she died at 102, people said that she was proof that "Hard work never killed anyone." Gus was known not only to his children and grandchildren as "Pap" but also to the many young folk who made the Bassett farm their second home. He always said he had the best neighbors in the world: these included two land-owning Negro families, the Bishops and Rices.
Gus Bassett, a Democrat, a Mason and a Baptist, was an honest, honorable, generous and hospitable man who, like his wife, Odie, enjoyed living and sharing.
Submitted by Wm. Kerr Bassett
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Bassett Family Association Database
1879 - 1929 (49 years)