Obituary for Catherine Desira "Katie" Cornelius Bassler
Catherine Desira 'Katie' Cornelius Bassler
Dec. 27, 1921 - Jan. 2, 2020
Catherine Desira "Katie" Cornelius, passed away Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Katie's strong heart and resilient body went to its final rest after a long and difficult fight with Alzheimer's.
Katie was born in Wells Tannery to Anthony and Mary Cornelius. She lived in Roaring Spring most of her life until she moved to Graystone Manor at Bellmeade.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John R. Bassler Jr.; and her siblings: infant William, Jackson and Inez Mirenda.
Surviving are her daughter, Cornelia Bassler (Harris) Rutherford; a son, John Anthony Bassler; grandchildren: James V. Harris, John M. Harris, Catherine C. Knott; and eight great-grandchildren.
Katie was a member of St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Roaring Spring, Daughters of the Nile, and Order of the Eastern Star, where she was a Worthy Matron and District Deputy Grand Matron.
She was always very artistic. She did beautiful oil paintings, made and taught ceramics, and created unique flower arrangement for a local florist for special occasions. She was perfectly at home in an evening gown and heels in any formal setting, as she was seated around a campfire in the wilderness or fly fishing in her waders.
She was way ahead of her time in being a modern female. She loved football; she loved to attend the Central games and had season tickets to Penn State home games for over 50 years.
She suffered through a seaming tragedy when, with a three month old baby, she got word that her husband's B-17 had gone down over Germany and there were no survivors. Within two months time she was informed that two of the 12 airmen on board that aircraft had parachuted out had survived. She later found out that her husband, Jack, was in one of the Dulag Prison camps. She worked for Bell Telephone until he arrived home from prison camp after the end of the war, 17 months later.
She enjoyed working for New Enterprise Stone and Lime Co. Inc. as a flagman for the huge precast beams they made, after her motherly duties were over. She loved to travel and did so to many countries in over three continents.
Catherine loved her granddaughter, Katie, and Katie's four daughters who lived with her for some time. She was a very kind, considerate, loving, forgiving person. Two of her favorite sayings were: "Tearing someone else down does not raise you up" and "Forgetting is the biggest part of forgiving."
She will be remembered by her family and all her friends as a person who would never say anything bad about anyone, and would always give you support when you needed it.
She lived a long and very interesting life and will be sorely missed.
Friends will be received from 3:30 to 4:30 and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, at The Good Funeral Home Inc., Alto-Reste Park. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at the funeral home.
thegoodfuneralhomeinc.com
Dec. 27, 1921 - Jan. 2, 2020
Catherine Desira "Katie" Cornelius, passed away Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Katie's strong heart and resilient body went to its final rest after a long and difficult fight with Alzheimer's.
Katie was born in Wells Tannery to Anthony and Mary Cornelius. She lived in Roaring Spring most of her life until she moved to Graystone Manor at Bellmeade.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John R. Bassler Jr.; and her siblings: infant William, Jackson and Inez Mirenda.
Surviving are her daughter, Cornelia Bassler (Harris) Rutherford; a son, John Anthony Bassler; grandchildren: James V. Harris, John M. Harris, Catherine C. Knott; and eight great-grandchildren.
Katie was a member of St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Roaring Spring, Daughters of the Nile, and Order of the Eastern Star, where she was a Worthy Matron and District Deputy Grand Matron.
She was always very artistic. She did beautiful oil paintings, made and taught ceramics, and created unique flower arrangement for a local florist for special occasions. She was perfectly at home in an evening gown and heels in any formal setting, as she was seated around a campfire in the wilderness or fly fishing in her waders.
She was way ahead of her time in being a modern female. She loved football; she loved to attend the Central games and had season tickets to Penn State home games for over 50 years.
She suffered through a seaming tragedy when, with a three month old baby, she got word that her husband's B-17 had gone down over Germany and there were no survivors. Within two months time she was informed that two of the 12 airmen on board that aircraft had parachuted out had survived. She later found out that her husband, Jack, was in one of the Dulag Prison camps. She worked for Bell Telephone until he arrived home from prison camp after the end of the war, 17 months later.
She enjoyed working for New Enterprise Stone and Lime Co. Inc. as a flagman for the huge precast beams they made, after her motherly duties were over. She loved to travel and did so to many countries in over three continents.
Catherine loved her granddaughter, Katie, and Katie's four daughters who lived with her for some time. She was a very kind, considerate, loving, forgiving person. Two of her favorite sayings were: "Tearing someone else down does not raise you up" and "Forgetting is the biggest part of forgiving."
She will be remembered by her family and all her friends as a person who would never say anything bad about anyone, and would always give you support when you needed it.
She lived a long and very interesting life and will be sorely missed.
Friends will be received from 3:30 to 4:30 and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, at The Good Funeral Home Inc., Alto-Reste Park. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at the funeral home.
thegoodfuneralhomeinc.com