Bassett, Olga Marie BARABOO - Olga Marie Bassett passed away on Wednesday, May 9, 2007, at Maplewood of Sauk Prairie, at age 99. Olga, the daughter of John and Marie (Koberstein) Guethlein, was born Aug. 10, 1907, at home in the Town of Greenfield. She graduated from Sunny Hill School and Baraboo High School. Olga also attended Sauk County Normal School and had taught in the rural schools before her marriage to Arthur K. Bassett Jr. on June 15, 1935. She and her husband owned and operated the Ski-Hi Fruit Farm for many, many years. Olga was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Baraboo and belonged to Mary Martha's Circle. She had always been very active in her community. She was a member of Baraboo's Chapter 21 of the Order of the Eastern Star and had been honored with the Paragon Award; had received the Super Citizens Award at the Wisconsin State Fair; was a member of the Baraboo Garden Club; a member of Intersay; had spent 25 years as a Leader with the Skillet Creek 4-H Club; belonged to the Baraboo Hiking Club and the Skillet Creek Homemakers Club; and was an honorary member of UW Life Sciences and Agriculture Department. Olga and Art had both been members of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society and had been honored in November 1967, with their Distinguished Service Award. Olga was an avid outdoor person and had started and maintained one of the first blue bird trails in Wisconsin. She was respectfully referred to as a "walking encyclopedia" and thoroughly enjoyed volunteering her time for the high school's spring field study with the biology students. Mrs. Bassett is survived by her son, Philip A. Bassett of Baraboo; her daughter, Betty Marie Thiessen of Baraboo; four grandchildren, Curt J. (Susan) Thiessen of Columbus, Ind., Kay Marie (Michael) Cummins of Phoenix, Ariz., Holly (Steven) Stoffels of Baraboo and Paul A. (Denise) Bassett of Waunakee; seven great-grandchildren, Kelly Marie and Brian Thiessen of Columbus, Ind., Scott, Zachary and Jonathan Stoffels of Baraboo and Kylie and Ryan Bassett of Waunakee; a sister, Iloe Meyer of Shawano; cousins; nieces; nephews and many dear friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Arthur Jr.; her mother and father-in-law, Arthur and Emma Bassett; an infant brother, Everett; her sister, Eunice (Burnham) Grider; a brother-in-law, Royal Meyer; and two sisters-in-law, Jessie (Ernest) Bassett Haefer and Josephine (Glen) Bassett Kuettel. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 19, 2007, at the SKI-HI FRUIT FARM with the Rev. James Oliver officiating. Friends may call at the farm from 10 a.m. until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Baraboo or to the family to be used in establishing a scholarship in her name for biology majors. The Redlin Funeral Home is assisting the family.
madison.com Copyright ©2007, Madison Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.