BASSETT, CLARENCE AND FLORENCE (LOUDON)

by Thelma Bassett Pearman

Entry F16 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Clyde Bassett Family late 30's. Clyde, clyde E, Jean and Florence

Clarence Dewey "Clyde" as he was known,
was born in Hooker County to John and Elsie
Bassett August 1900. It is believed that they
were living along the North Dismal River east
of Running Water Bridge at the time.
Nothing is available of his early school years
but perhaps he attended a school to the north
somewhere. The only record available was for
the years 1915-'16 and 1916-'17 at which time
he attended the Haney School, believed to
have been located in southsestern Hooker
county. The family had moved to either
southwestern Hooker county or southeastern
Grant County, as their address was Elva,
located in southeastern Grant County.

Clyde did not have a homestead as there
was no available land left in this area. He
worked on area ranches after he was out of
school. clyde and Florence met at the Quinn
Ranch where both were employed. They were
married May 18, 1923 in Lexington, Nebras-
ka at the home of her brother, P.D. Loudon.
there were still some homesteads available in
Wyoming so they went to Farson, in Eden
Valley, where they homesteaded on the Little
Sandy River. Their home was a 2 room log
cabin with chinked walls. They did not farm
due to dry conditions so Clyde worked for
other people in the valley.

Both Clyde and Florence went to work for
a bridge building company that was building
bridges around Pinedale, Wyoming. clyde
drove a truck and Florence cooked for the
work crew.

Edna Jean was born to them at Shoshone,
Wyoming, 1930 and Clyde E.
was born also at Shoshone 1932.
After the birth of the children, they returned
to their homestead for a time, then moved
several miles to another place in the same
area. They had not been there long until
Clyde became ill and was taken to Soda
Springs, Idaho, where he died in February
1939. He was buried at Farson, Wyoming.

Dell went to Wyoming and helped Florence
for a time. Florence remarried and they
moved to Portland, Oregon where they lived
until the death of her second husband. She
moved to Phoenix, Arizona to live with
daughter Jean, who had lost her husband in
1961. Jean is retired and they continue to live
in Phoenix. Florence was 89 years of age in
1987.

Clyde E. lost his wife in 1974 and has since
remarried living in Baja, California at pres-
ent.