Helen Basche, 88, a longtime Richland resident, died Jan. 7, 2007, at Richland.
There will be a celebration of Helen’s life at 11 a.m. Monday at Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception afterward at Warren and Betty Whitnah’s home in Richland.
Helen was born on July 26, 1918, at Flora, Ill., to Edward Leake and Delia Morrison Leake. Helen’s father died when she was quite young and the family moved west to be near relatives. Going west, they found their home at Halfway, where Helen was raised and educated. During her life, she enjoyed office work and worked as a secretary for many years at the Oregon Lumber Co. in Baker City.
In May 1959, Helen married Pete Basche. Helen and Pete enjoyed taking trips around the country for several years in their motor home. Helen and her husband were very active with the Richland Grange, which Helen served for many years as secretary.
Helen was an avid seamstress and, later in life, she enjoyed writing short stories. A very special part of Helen’s life was taking care of her mother, Delia, who lived to be 103.
Survivors include her daughter, Betty L. Whitnah, and her husband, Warren, of Richland; a son, Peter M. Basche, and his wife, Kathy, of Kennewick, Wash.; four grandchildren, Kail Miller of Richland, Bob Miller of Templeton, Calif., Rob Basche of Kennewick, Wash., and Jackie Basche of Sacramento, Calif.; five great-grandchildren, Shawn Mitchell of Alta Loma, Calif., Kipp Miller of Richland, Ande and Megan Miller of Paso Robles, Calif., and Austin Basche of Kennewick, Wash.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters; two brothers; and her husband Pete Basche, who died in 2004.
Memorial contributions may be made to the organization of one’s choice through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, October 17, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor