Helen Lena (Hausner) Bassett

Helen Lena Hausner Bassett of Interlaken, NY, passed away at the age of 96 on Saturday, November 25, 2023, at Cayuga Nursing and Rehab, with her daughter and granddaughters surrounding her.

Helen was born the second child of Charles and Anna Emmons Hausner on March 18, 1927. She grew up on the farm on County Road 142 in Interlaken. She loved animals and especially her trusty old blind pony, Billy, and her pretty paint horse, Dolly, which she often rode in local parades and rodeos.

She graduated from Interlaken Central School and worked at the canning factory in the village, along with duties on her parents’ farm.

She married Howard Bassett in 1949, establishing a strong and hard-working partnership that would take them from the Bassett farm on the Lodi Road to the Hausner farm on 142, where Helen would spend a total of 89 years of her life.  While farming was a life-long love for both, so were horses. Helen and Howard brought one of the first Quarter Horses into New York State from Oklahoma and started successfully breeding, raising, training, and showing Quarter Horses for decades. While Helen preferred riding at home, she was always there to help her husband, daughter, and granddaughters get ready at shows.  She also enjoyed working in the entry booths at numerous shows and overseeing futurities for the state quarter horse association. She and Howard traveled extensively throughout the east and midwest, visiting horse farms, shows, and friends and family.

While raising oats and hay for their and their friends’ horses, corn became the major focus for them. Helen could drive a tractor, plowing and hauling corn with the best of them.  She especially liked to cultivate corn with her Farmall C. Her favorite tractor, a Farmall 856, was well-loved and cared-for.  She and Howard rarely had outside help, doing all the farm work themselves, with daughter, Valerie, helping wherever needed.

Helen learned to sew early and made almost all of her own blouses, along with dresses, pajamas, and nightgowns for her daughter, granddaughters, and nieces. The staff at Cayuga Rehab were so impressed that the blouses she wore there were of her own making. She also loved needlepoint, making many keepsakes for family and friends. She was proficient in sudoku, putting together puzzles, and cross-stitch. Most Sunday afternoons were reserved for special FaceTime with granddaughters and great-granddaughters.

Helen was predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Howard, in 2012; by her parents; and by her two brothers, Heber Hausner and Walter Hausner.

Helen is survived by daughter, Valerie Bassett (Don Kenyon) of Interlaken; granddaughters Heather Wilkins Androlevich (Stephen) of Enterprise, Alabama, and Meredith Wilkins Tuppen (John) of Glenville, New York, and great-granddaughters Kendall and Kadence Androlevich, and Violet Tuppen. She is also survived by her sister, Wanda Beardslee, sisters-in-law Mary Hausner and Betty Bassett, and brother-in-law Daniel Bassett. Her nine Hausner nieces and nephews have visited often, both at home and at Cayuga Rehab.  Along with 17 Bassett family nieces and nephews, also surviving are special cousins Lee and Ann Emmons, and Roland and Diane Emmons, and many friends.

We want to recognize the wonderful staff at Cayuga Nursing and Rehab, Unit 1, and thank them for their special care.

A private burial service was held on Thursday, November 30th, at Lakeview Cemetery in Interlaken.  A celebration of life will be announced for the summer of 2024.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Helen’s memory to Trumansburg Volunteer Fire Co. EMS, P.O. Box 418, Trumansburg, NY 14886 or to  Hospicare, 172 East King Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.