Grace Luella Hummel Bashline, 85, formerly of Shannon Drive, Clarion, died Thursday afternoon, Dec. 13, 2007, in the Golden Living Center, Clarion.

Born Oct. 5, 1922, in Summerville, she was the daughter of Charles A. and Lorena Lowers Hummel.

Mrs. Bashline taught school for a few years and was a telephone operator for Bell Telephone in Clarion for many years. She was a member of the Pioneers of Bell Telephone.

For more than 60 years, Mrs. Bashline was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Clarion, where she married her beloved husband, Russell C. Bashline, June 2, 1945, and they renewed their vows to celebrate their 50th anniversary together amongst family and friends. He preceded her in death April 2, 2002.

Mrs. Bashline will be remembered for her enjoyment of singing and playing the piano and her ability to play the piano "by ear." She was a devoted and loving wife, a caring mother, sister and aunt and a very loving grandmother and great-grandmother, called "Nana." She faced challenges in her later years with charm and determination.

Mrs. Bashline will be sadly missed by her children, Barbara J. Wynkoop and her husband, Robert, of Enterprise, Ala., Gary W. Bashline and his wife, Kathleen, of Seabrook Beach, N.H., Kimberly A. Leith and her husband, William Douglas, of Clarion and Lisa Bashline of Clarion; her grandchildren, Traci Wynkoop and her husband Scott, of Birmingham, Ala., Kelli Wynkoop Blessey and husband, Peter, of Mandeville, La.., Austin Bashline, of Seabrook Beach, N.H., Jennifer Leith, of Allison Park, Pittsburgh, and Jenessa Leith, of Clarion; and great-grandchildren, Emily, Elizabeth and William Blessey of Mandeville, La., Turner, Cooper, Gabe and Addison Grace of Birmingham, Ala., and Alexis and Rebecca Leith, of Clarion.

She also is survived by one sister, Mrs. Deloris Caldwell, of Brookville; her only brother, Charles Hummel and wife, Nancy, of Delphi, Ind.; brothers-in-law, Fred Wise, of Clarion, Gene Master, of Cranberry, and Raymond Bashline and wife, Pat, of Kittanning; and a sister-in-law, Nylene Kerr, of Clarion; plus numerous nieces, nephews, friends and former neighbors.

In addition to her parents and husband, Mrs. Bashline was preceded in death by an infant son, Terry Russell, on June 23, 1953; a grandson, Bryan Russell; and sisters, Emma Hollenbaugh, Esther Gulnac, Jessie Lindenau, LaGene Wise, Marian Master and Helen Slaugenhaupt.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 Monday at Goble Funeral Home and Crematory, 330 Wood St., Clarion. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church in Clarion with the Rev. Deryl Larsen officiating. Interment will be in Clarion Cemetery. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the First United Methodist Church, Wood Street, Clarion, 16214.

The Derrick, December 15, 2007.
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