Arlyne LaRuth Drake Basom, 90, passed away December 27, 2023.
Arlyne was born July 3, 1933 in Great Bend, Kansas, the daughter of (Earl) Arlyn Drake and Ruth E. Peterson Drake.
Arlyne was raised in Garfield, Kansas and graduated from Garfield High School. She attended Colorado Women’s College, Wichita State University, Troy State College and Fort Hays State University, receiving a B.S. in Business, a B.S. in Education and a M.S. in Library Science.
In 1954, she married Darrel W. Basom in Garfield. She was a proud military wife, active in the Officer’s Wives Clubs and moved often during Darrell’s multiple deployments to Korea and Vietnam.
Arlyne was the Hillside Elementary School Librarian before transitioning to teaching Larned High School and Barton County Community College English classes. She was a beloved teacher, positively impacting the lives of numerous students, and she received the Christa McAuliffe award honoring her exemplary teaching. Arlyne played the piano and was the organist for Grace Lutheran Church in Larned for 44 years.
She was proud of her Swedish and English heritage. Arlyne loved her cats, a hot cup of tea and reading. She also enjoyed music, live theater, traveling, sewing, quilting, cooking, baking, gardening, volunteering and watching KU basketball. She found great joy in cooking and baking for family celebrations and for others and was happiest when surrounded by her family. With a true Christian spirit, Arlyne loved serving others with her gracious and generous heart.
Arlyne was active in the community for the last 57 years. She was a member of Eastern Star, DAR, Music Club, AAUW, Quilting Club, Community Concert Association, Phi Beta Kappa, PVCH Auxillary and Grace Lutheran Church. She served on the Jordaan Scholarship Board for many years, was a 4-H judge, a Kansas Governor’s Cookie Jar Champion and a Christmas Parade Grand Marshal.
Survivors include: five children, Thon (Anna-Maria) Basom, Garfield, Teresa (Miles) Coady, Florida/North Carolina, Cynthia (Alan) Mead, Larned, Lydia (Michael) Beason, South Carolina, Dara Katherine McClendon, Texas; thirteen grandchildren, Kristin (Jon) Mills, Kerri Mead, Brian (Brooke) Coady, Katie (Dylan) Bishop, Ruth (Geoff) Argue, Jordan (Kalie) Olsen, Creighton Olsen, Kjersti Olsen, Scarlett (Anthony) Cannata, Drake, Cole, Breck and Karenna McClendon and twelve great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ruth and Arlyn Drake, her brothers Donnie and Monet Drake, sister-in-law Sharon Drake, twin granddaughters Marie and Suzanne Coady, and son-in-law Greg McClendon.
Funeral service will be 10:30 AM Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at Garfield Lutheran Church with Heather Drake presiding. Visitation will be 1pm to 8pm Monday, January 1, 2024 at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned. Burial will be in the Garfield Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to Larned Music Club in care of Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, Kansas 67550.