Shelby  County,  Indiana
Biographies

Frank  Earl  Bass

          Frank E(arl) Bass,  son of  William and  Elsie (Williams) Bass,  was born on a farm in Marion Twp., Shelby Co., Ind., July 26, 1881.
          William Bass,  son of  Leason and  Elvira (Nigh) Bass,  was born in Mairon Twp., Shelby Co., Ind.  After attending dist schs. he remained on his father's farm until the time of his marriage, following which he farmed a portion of the old homestead.  Following the deth of his father, he inherited 200 acres of land, which he farmed until in the 1890's.  He then moved to Shelbyville, and became a stockholder in the Citizens Natural Gas Co.  In the meantime he contd. to direct the management of his farm.  He died in 1931.  He was married twice.  His first wife,  Elsie (Williams) Bass,  who was born in Brandywine Twp., Shelby Co., Ind., died in 1887,  There the parents of 2 children:  (1) Frank Eart.  (2) Grace,  who married  Ernest Bassett.  Mr. and Mrs. Bassett reside in Kokomo, Ind.  William Bass married, second,  Hattie Fox,  who died in 1934.  The only child of this marriage was  Clay Bass,  who died when 6 years of age.
          Leason Bass,  father of  William, and son of  Henry and  Judia (Fox) Bass,  was born in Shelby Co., Ind.  He was a farmer.  His wife,  Elvira (Nigh) Bass, also a native of Shelby Co., Ind.
          Henry Bass,*  father of Leason, and son of  Jordan Bass,  was born in North Carolina, Aug. 6, 1792.  He later came with his wife and his mother, to Ind., settling near Connersville, in Fayette County.  In 1821 they moved to Shelby County, and entered Govt. land in Marion Twp.  They were among the first settlers of the two.  Henry Bass was a successful farmer, adding more land to his original farm, until at the time of his death he owned 1,000 acres in Shelby County.  He was a Democrat, and was a mem. of the Christian Church, as were the other mems. of his family.  His wife,  Judia (Fox) Bass, also was born in North Carolina, in which state she was married.
          Jordan Bass,  father of Henry, was born in Virginia.  He was a soldier in the Rev. War.  Following the war he settled in North Carolina, where he was married.  He contd. to reside in North Carolina the remainder of his life.  He died in 1818.  Following his death, his widow, and his son, Henry Bass, and the latter's wife, came to Ind. by ox team and covered wagon, settling near Connersville, Fayette County, where they resided until 1821.  They then moved to Shelby County.  Members of the Bass family, which is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, came to the Colonies in the latter part of 1600, settling in Virginia.
          Frank E. Bass,  the subject of this sketch, attended public schs., and later was a student of Marion (Ind.) Coll. 2 years.  He then entered the Med, Coll. of Indiana, in Indianapolis, where he was graduated with an M.D. deg. in 1903.  He began the prac. of medicine at Gwynnewille, Shelby County, where he contd. one year, after which he moved to Morristown, Shelby County, where he practiced until 1915.  He since has maintained a gen. med. prac. in Shelbyville,  Dr. Bass is a mem. of the following:  Masonic Lodge; Eastern Star; Am. Med. Assn.; Ind. State Med. Assn.; Shelby County Med. Soc.;  Shelby County Chapter, Citizens Hist. Assn.; and Christian Church.
          In 1904, Frank E. Bass married  Bertha Moore,  who was born in Shelbyville, Ind., where she attended sch.  Mrs. Bass is an active mem. of the Eastern Star, having served at one time as matron.  Dr. and Mrs. Bass are the parents of one child,  Harriett,  who was born in Morristown, Ind., in Feb. 1908.  She was graduated from high sch. in Shelbyville, and was a student one year each at DePauw Univ. and Purdue Univ.  She discontinued her studies at Purdue Univ. in 1928 t be married.  Her husband,  Charles Walker,  was born in Washington, Ind.  Mr. and Mrs. Walker, who reside at Rockford, Ind., are the parents of 2 children:  Carolyn,  born in 1929; and  Philip,  born in 1933.
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* For further data regarding Henry Bass, and other mems. of the Bass family, see "Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana" (1909), p. 408 (sketch of Frank Bass).
"Citizens Historical Association," Indianapolis, No. 2 D12 E73 F44, June 13, 1942, JCC/DLH.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

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