Elizabeth J. "Betty" Baskett

LIVINGSTON - Elizabeth J. ‘Betty' Baskett, 76, of Livingston, died of pancreatic cancer, at her home, late Wednesday evening, Oct. 29, 2003. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Franzen-Davis Funeral Home, 118 N. Third St. in Livingston, and from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3, at Holbrook United Methodist Church. The Rev. David Greep will officiate. Cremation will follow the services and burial of the cremated remains will take place at a later date at Mountainview Cemetery in Big Timber. Arrangements are under the direction of Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory, 118 N. Third St. in Livingston.
Betty was born Sept. 26, 1927, in Columbus, Wis., the daughter of R. Milton and Margaret (Williams) Jones. She graduated from Columbus High School and then took nurses training at Presbyterian Hospital of Chicago, graduating with the degree of RN in September 1948. Just prior to graduating, she met a brash young intern at Presbyterian, L. McLean Baskett, who convinced her to marry him rather than attend the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison to get her bachelor's degree in nursing. She always said she was a sucker for freckles, and at that time, Dr. Baskett was a champion in that field. So they married in January of 1949 in the First Presbyterian Church of Columbus.
After completing training in Chicago, Dr. Baskett volunteered for the U.S. Army in May of 1951, during the Korean War. He and Betty, and Baby Susan, were first sent to Camp Atterbury, Ind., and later to the U.S. Army Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. Following his discharge in 1953, they moved to Livingston, where he joined the practice of Drs. Lueck, Pearson and Clemons. They have made Livingston their home ever since.
Betty was a member of Holbrook United Methodist Church and Chapter AP of the PEO Sisterhood and remained active in both until her recent illness. Although she did some nursing in Germany, she later became a full-time homemaker and mother in Livingston. She was very proud of her 100% Welsh heritage, and fortunately had the opportunity to visit Wales a few years ago. She possessed a typical Welsh singing voice, an alto, and was always right on pitch.
Survivors include her husband, L. McLean Baskett of Livingston; and three children of whom she was the proud mother, Susan B. Lovely and James L. Baskett, both of Billings, and Richard M. Baskett of Missoula. She is also survived by three grandsons; a sister, Janet Ksiazek of Palos Heights, Ill.; a brother, John C. Jones of Davis, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Robert Jones and O. Richard Jones.
To those of us who survive her, she was one very special person, and it is difficult to say, as is done in Germany, "Auf Wiedersehen."
The charities which were most special to Betty were Livingston Memorial Health Care and Hospice, the Holbrook United Methodist Church Endowment Fund and Chapter AP of PEO.