Halfway, Oregon
Son of Pioneer Hardwareman Dies
Fred Walton Basche, ex-mayor of Halfway and son of the founder of the Basche-Sage Hardware Company of Baker, died January 22 at St. Elizabeth hospital.
Mr. Basche was the son of a pioneer family. He was born Jan 12, 1880, in Baker. His father, Peter Basche, who was elected county judge in 1910 after retiring from the hardware business, had moved to Baker in about 1874.
Mr. Basche attended schools in Baker and Hill Military Academy in Portland. He was a farmer most of his life and moved from Baker to the Home ranch, owned by his father in Home in 1903. He was married to Martha Ellen Rhodes on May 28, 1908, at Weiser. For many years he was a clerk on the school board at Home.
Mr. Basche was a resident at Halfway for the past 10 years and had just finished a term as mayor of Halfway on January 1 of this year. He was a member of the Baker County Selective Service board, serving in that capacity during World War II. He was a member of the Christian Science church.
Surviving him are his widow, one son, Pete F. Basche of Robinette: step-sons, Bert Basche of Baker, Ivor Wilson of Portland and James C. Wilson of Union; one step-daughter, Mrs. John Coats of Home; two brothers, Victor Basche of New York City and Claude C. Basche of Baker; and two grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday at 2:00p.m. from the Beatty Chapel. Burial was in the family plot at Mt. Hope cemetery. Pall bearers were Harvey Harrison, Fred Moes, W.H. Ellis, Leo Wilson, Carl Silven and George Brown.
Source: The Record-Courier, Baker, Baker County, Oregon.
Contributed by: Sue Wells