Kate Gastin Laid To Rest Here Wednesday
Funeral services for Kate May Gastin were held Wednesday afternoon at the Christian church in Wallowa with the Rev. Floyd E. White of Joseph in charge. Burial was at the Wallowa cemetery beside her husband, James B. Gastin, who died in1924.
Mrs. Gastin was 81 years of age. Though her strength and activity was somewhat reduced since the death of a daughter about a year ago, she remained active in her daily duties to the very hour of her death. Her son, Roy, with whom she lived, had been at home until 2 o’clock last Saturday, and left on an errand to Lostine and Enterprise. When he returned at 5:20 he found his mother seated at a chair at a table in the kitchen. She was, however, dead. Irvin, who also lives at home in the Leap district, had been gone all afternoon doing some work in the Gastin pasture nearby.
When Roy left, his mother was at work in the garden, gathering cucumbers and squash. Apparently she had come into the house and had done some household work, including putting clean pillow cases on the beds upstairs. She had apparently lain on a couch downstairs for a time. As Roy surmises, his mother suffered a heart attack, perhaps finding it difficult to breath while lying down, she may have risen to take a seat on a chair, and here it was she expired. Because his mother had not yet gone to feed the chickens, as was her custom at 4 o’clock he assumes death may have come about 4 o’clock.
Mrs. Gastin was born Kate May Cussins on December 24, 1879, at Beatrice, Nebr. She was the daughter of Samuel J. and Elizabeth Cussins. When she was seven years of age, the family came by train to Elgin, Ore., bringing their household goods and some horses. They came into Wallowa County by wagon with their horses.
For seven years the family lived on the then J. A. Tulley place two miles east of Wallowa. This is the same place where Mr. and Mrs. Barton Wade now live. The family then moved to the Leap district where Mrs. Gastin lived to the end. She lived in Wallowa County 74 years.
Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gastin, three of whom survive. They are Roy and Irvin H. Gastin, who live at the home place in Leap; Laura Anderson, long-time resident of La Grande who died July 11, 1960; Dee Gastin who died about five years ago; and Eugene Gastin of Wallowa.
There are 10 grandchildren; Mrs. Carl (Ruby) Smith of La Grande; Jim Anderson of Hollywood, Calif.; Bob Anderson, Cove; Don Anderson in the U.S. Air Force at Omaha; Mrs. Charles (May) Little of La Grande; Ovetta Thomas; fomerly a WAVE of Pennsylvania; Mrs. Bob (Loretta) Moore of La Grande; Teddy Gastin, Fort Ord, Calif.; and Judy Gastin of Pendleton.
Five of the grandsons, with Sam Meek, of Wallowa, were the pall bearers. These grandsons were Jim Anderson, bob Anderson, Harold Anderson, Bob Moore and Carl smith.
Two brothers and a sister, all of Wallowa County, survive Mrs. Gastin. They are Leander Cussins of Lostine and Arthur Cussins of Enterprise, both older than their sister; and Mrs. Odelia Jacobs of Enterprise, two years younger than Kate.
Mrs. Gastin’s life was devoted to her husband and the raising of her children. She always had a keen interest in her garden and chickens. Many years ago she was active in Grange work in her community.
