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PHYLLIS BASSLER Wonderful mother, special grandmother and great friend, passed away July 23, 2011. Phyllis was born April 29, 1916, in Roaring Spring, PA, the daughter of John R. and Edith B. Bassler. Despite her formative years having occurred during the Depression, she grew up in a lively, generous home where her parents planted the seeds for her life-long kind and caring spirit. She was a graduate of Roaring Spring High School and the Altoona School of Commerce. Phyllis has remained close with many of her childhood friends throughout her long and productive life. After working briefly in Altoona for Pennsylvania Power & Light, she was recruited by the Roaring Spring Paper Mill to join their payroll department. She often told stories of the long work weeks at the Mill, and clearly remembered getting only partial holidays for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. Phyllis married James Whittier Hurd on October 29, 1940. She and Jim moved to Harrisburg in 1949, where she worked for the Pennsylvania Anthracite Institute as a legislative relations specialist until the office was closed due to a fire that occurred as a consequence of Hurricane Agnes in 1972. For the next eight years she worked for the State of Pennsylvania Revenue Department until retiring at age 65. From the 1970s to the late 1980s, Phyllis was an antique dealer associated with a variety of Harrisburg area consignment centers, the last of which was the "Barn" at Hershey. She loved collecting and selling cut-and pressed-glass along with fine porcelain. She spent countless Saturdays going to public auctions with her husband and daughter Pam and enjoyed nothing more than finding a real "treasure" that other dealers had overlooked. Phyllis was a life-long member of the Order of Eastern Star having served Estrelita Chapter 512 in Harrisburg in several offices, culminating as Worthy Matron. Many of her closest and longest friendships were developed from her ties to Eastern Star (both her home Chapter and throughout Central PA). She also served as secretary of the PA Association of Retired Employees (PARSE) until 1994 when she moved to Albuquerque to be close to her only child, daughter Pam, son-in-law Ron and grandson Kyle. During this latter period, she was active in the Daughters of the Nile and Masonic Widows organizations, and was a member of Hoffmantown Church. Throughout her life, Phyllis loved to play piano for family and friends, speak in public (as a school girl she had won oratory awards), create needlepoint, knit scarves, and grow roses. She had a true green thumb regardless of the climate or planting conditions. She left full, thriving rose gardens at her homes in Harrisburg and later in Albuquerque. Her family and many friends in Albuquerque and Harrisburg will miss her sunny disposition, can-do attitude, kind and generous friendship, and her wonderful smile. Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, husband James, and brother John R."Jack" Bassler, Jr. She is survived by her daughter Pamela Hurd-Knief; son-in-law Ronald A. Knief; beloved grandson Kyle Alexander Hurd Knief; sister-in-law Catherine Bassler; niece Cornelia Rutherford; and nephew John Bassler. Services will be held at French - Wyoming Chapel on Friday, July 29, 2011, 11:00 a.m., and family and friends may visit one hour prior to service. A private interment will take place. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions may be made to: The Bassler-Hurd Political Science Scholarship Fund at Juniata College. Checks should be mailed to the Office of Development; Juniata College; 1700 Moore Street; Huntingdon, PA 16652. Please visit our online guestbook for Phyllis at: www.RememberTheirStory.com Lovingly Pre-planned at FRENCH 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE (505) 823-9400
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