BASSETT, NATHAN E. AND SADIE C. (SAGER)

Nathan “Nate'', as 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. I was a square section and not too many were fortunate enough to receive such a gool 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 area 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 Railsback; Ruby Alice married How-ard 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, Nebras-ka 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 Vin-ton'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 Mul-len 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 1930 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 Nona. Nate passed away in January 1975 and was buried at at Miller Cemetery 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 linden 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.