Notes |
- Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 17 May 2008
Alaine S. Bassett
Greece: on May 14, 2008. Age 90. Predeceased by her first husband, Eldon
Stutzman. She is survived by her husband, Charles F. (Chuck); 5 sons, Richard
(Sallye) Stutzman, David (Margaret) Stutzman, Dr. George (Ruth) Bassett, James
(Barbara) Bassett, Ray Bassett; 13 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren.
Member of Journey Christian Church (formerly West Side Baptist Church).
Friends may call at Arndt Funeral Home, 1118 Long Pond Road (South of Maiden
Lane) on Saturday, 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Memorial Service on Sunday, May 18th at 3 PM
at Journey Christian Church, 3955 Mt. Read Blvd. In lieu of flowers,
contributions to Memorial Fund at Journey Christian Church or Alzheimer
Association.
The Home-going of Alaine S. Bassett
April 16, 1918 – May 14 – 2008
In a couple of hours I’ll be going to the funeral home to greet well-wishers,
so I thought I’d jot down a few notes about Alaine’s final days and the
beautiful way in which Jesus Christ took her home.
Alaine had had dementia for several years that gradually morphed into
full-blown Alzheimer’s Disease. She, our loved ones and I were coping with it
fairly well until just after her 90th birthday on April 16 when she developed
severe gastro-intestinal bleeding and was admitted to the hospital. Four days
later she was home and doing well for awhile. Then she was having difficulty
eating and developed severe diarrhea. After consulting our family physician,
the family gathered to determine a course of action. Gradually, we came to
realize that in-house Hospice was the way to go since the recent
hospitalization had been so traumatic for her. But even then, we had a hard
time accepting that God was taking her home. Through many ways, He continued
to impress upon us that it was her time to go to Him.
In His grace, He provided us with around-the-clock nurses aides, two of whom
are strong Christians. I would go to sleep at night listening to one of them
singing hymns to Alaine and holding her hand. On the evening of her death, the
other aide was holding Alaine’s hand and singing “All the Way My Savior Leads
Me” when suddenly the aide cried out to me. Alaine’s pulse had dropp
almost nothing. I quickly called our Rochester sons and families to come over.
Alaine had barely expired when they arrived. We stood around the hospital bed
in our living room, giving thanks to God for sparing her the long,
debilitating, degrading decline that so many with that disease suffer. By that
time, our night aide had arrived and we sang hymns of praise and shared
memories of her life. Finally the funeral director arrived and we all noticed
that the anguished expression that had been on Alaine’s face for a couple of
weeks had smoothed into a relaxed and peaceful countenance.
Through it all, we have had fantastic prayer and physical support from friends
and family, but none so much as from Alaine’s closest woman friend, her
daughter-in-law, Margaret Stutzman. She has been a constant help and presence
throughout this last month. Has ever a man been so blessed as I am with such a
wonderful wife, helpmate and best friend? Has ever a man been so blessed by
Christ with such a glorious end to his wife’s life, surrounded by lovin
praying family and friends? How I praise God and His son, Jesus Christ as we
say farewell to that beautiful woman.
Chuck Bassett
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