Harold R. (Tommy) Basten drowned 1931-1946

BASTEN, SCHROEDER, MASON, COHN

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 10/14/2010 at 11:55:21

Injuries he suffered Tuesday
night in a swimming accident
proved fatal today to Harold Basten,
15, who died at 1 a. m. at
Mercy hospital. His funeral will
be held at Sacred Heart church
Saturday at 9 a. m., Father Thomas
B. Knox officiating, and burial
will be in Woodlawn cemetery.
The body will lie in state at the
home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Mathew Basten, 514 1st St. SW,
until the services, which will be
in charge at Hintz funeral home.
Harold was born in Oelwein
June 9, 1931 and spent his entire
hie here He was a student at
Sacred Heart school. Besides his
parents, two brothers and nine
sisters survive.
He was one of a group of 15
boys who went swimming at
Beckers creek about 11:30 Tuesday
night. The boys were playing
water tag and to avoid being
caught Basten dived into a spot
where the water was very shallow
When he did not return to
the surface his companions began
to search for him and found him
unconscious at the bottom of the
creek.
After artificial respiration and
oxygen were administered he was
taken to the hospital. His family
and friends remained with him
until he died.

Oelwein Daily Register - 13 June 1946

Harold R. (Tommy) Basten, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Mathew Basten,
was born in Oelwein, Iowa
on June 9, 1931 and departed this
life on June 13, 1946 at Mercy
Hospital at 1:10 a. m.
He was baptized and confirmed
at Sacred Heart church and
enrolled in the Sodality of the
Blessed Virgin Mary.
Tommy attended Sacred Heart
High School where he had just
completed his freshman year. He
was a member of Boy Scouts of
America, Troop 49, and squad
member of the school basketball
team. He took an active part in
sports and his cheerful disposition
won for him a host of friends.
Besides his parents he is survived
by two brothers, Leo of
Cedar Rapids, and James of
Edgewood and nine sisters, Mrs.
Madalyn Schroeder, Agnes, Dorothy,
Jacqueline, Myrna and
Mavis, of Oelwein and Mrs.
Emily Mason, Mrs. Eleanor Cohn,
and Mildred, of Cedar Rapids.
Funeral services were held at
9 a. m. June 15 at Sacred Heart
Church, the Rev. E. J. O'Hagan
officiating at the Requiem High
Mass. Rev. T. B. Knox delivered
the sermon.
Tommy Gloede, Pat Loveland,
Earl Walrath, Bob Gienapp, Danny
O'Hara, Howard Masters, Bob
Rohrick, and Jack O'Hara acted
as pallbearers.
The choir members were his
classmates. John Reed was
organist.
Interment was made in Woodlawn
cemetery.

Oelwein Daily Register - 18 June 1946