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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.
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Bassett Family Association Database
, d. Jan 1975 (Age 85 years)