John Bass

Graveside Services: Will be held on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at the Scranton Cemetery, Scranton, Iowa. Pastor Cathy Nutting will officiate the service.  

Open Visitation with family not present: Will be held on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, at the Steen Funeral Home in Fontanelle from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family and funeral home requests masks must be worn and social distancing to be practiced.

Memorials: Memorials may be directed to the John Bass memorial fund to be established at a later date. 

John Marion Bass was born November 14, 1927, in Laurel, Nebraska, to George and Mae (Papenhausen) Bass. He passed away on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, at his home in Fontanelle, Iowa, at the age of 92. 

John grew up in the Laurel, Nebraska and Scranton, Iowa areas. He was united in marriage to Bernice Brown on November 6, 1948, at the Scranton United Methodist Church. To this union three children were born: Diane Carol, Charlene Kathryn and Jim Marion. 

John was a farmer and he farmed near Scranton and Jefferson. His farm was one of the farms that hosted the 1966 AGRI-RAMA U.S.A. National Plowing Match. They purchased their farm north of Fontanelle in 1968. Upon retirement they moved to their home in Fontanelle in 1993. 

John was a member of the Methodist Church, Fontanelle Lions Club, Fontanelle Elevator Board and Farm Bureau. He enjoyed dancing, jigsaw puzzles, reading, playing cards, bowling, boating and traveling. He also looked forward to winters in Arizona for many years. 

He is survived by his two daughters, Diane Rice (Darwin) of Jefferson, Iowa and Charlene Wood (Dean) of Coralville, Iowa; son, Jim Bass (Kathy) of Fontanelle; six grandchildren; sixteen great grandchildren; brothers and sisters-in-law, Mary Bass of Banning, CA, Phyllis Brown of Bayard, Iowa, Elaine Seaman (Robert) of Carroll, Iowa and Lois Taylor (Merlin) of Cedar Falls, Iowa; other relatives and friends. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; step-father, Lester Weaver; wife, Bernice Bass; brothers, George and Stanley Bass; brother-in-law, Wayne Brown; granddaughter, Karen Wood; great grandson, Timothy Wood; and great granddaughter, Ava Farrand.