Ida Ruth Price Keil Bass

IDA RUTH PRICE KEIL BASS 1914 - 1972

My sister Ida Ruth Price was born in Redstone, Montana in 1914 where our parents were homesteading. My sisters Esther and Doris and brother Delbert were also born there. It was a barren place to rear a family and times were hard. My parents and these four siblings moved back to Jefferson, Iowa to be near relatives. The four children were stricken with scarlet fever and were very ill. The house had to be quarantined - even dad couldn't go in. Esther and Doris both died - in December 1919 and in January 1920 -it was a sad time for the family. Ida and Del recovered fully. Sister Alice was born in 1921, I was born in 1923, and sister Lois was born in 1925.

Ida being the oldest helped Mom with the four of us and was a wonderful big sister! She was tall, thin, and beautiful, and we girls all wanted to be like her! She participated in many activities in school. She graduated from Jefferson High School in 1932 and attended Beauty School in Des Moines, IA to become a hair stylist. She met Russell Keil in Des Moines and they were married in 1938. They had two children, Gary born in 1940 and Nancy born in 1941.

Ida and Russ were great dancers and participated in many dance contests during the big band days. They were later divorced.

In 1952 Ida married Cleo Bass and they moved back to Jefferson. During this time period we four sisters and our families and our parents all lived in Jefferson. We had many wonderful family gatherings. Ida had her beauty shop in her house so could be home. My two older boys were at that time carrying papers. They often managed to end the route at Aunt Ida's house where they knew treats and comic books awaited! Those were special times and I always knew where to find them.

Ida's kids both graduated from Jefferson High School and went on to college. Ida and Cleo moved to Minnesota where they managed a dairy farm. All the nieces and nephews looked forward to going up to the farm. They were sure they were helping and Ida always rewarded everyone with wonderful meals.

Ida Ruth Price Keil Bass died in 1972. She was a wonderful big sis to me and I am proud to honor her in the Plaza of Heroines.

Comments from Ida's children, Nancy Bass and Gary Bass.

We always considered Ida not only the best Mom ever but also our best friend. She was always there with love advice and support. She worked, but we were lucky that she had her beauty shop in our home so she was always there when we got home from school. Everyone liked her and she liked everyone. Our lives were not ones of wealth financially, but we were wealthy in every other sense. Some of our fondest memories of our mother Ida are: comic books, donut holes, Mom in her P coat and pants, oleo margarine in a bag, 3 cent day at Riverview Amusement Park, Saturday movie matinees, tap dance lessons, dance recital costumes, flour sack skirts, roller skating, egg pancakes, brownies, pizza, chocolate, angel food cake with whip cream, corn on the cob, fried chicken, cards on Sunday afternoon, candy on the coffee table, kids in our yard playing, our first car summer vacations at Lake Okoboji, Mom learning to rock 'n roll, chaperoning our senior prom, poker parties in our kitchen, shopping trips, meeting her "surprise" daughter-in-law for the first time, getting her first tan at age 50, her baby cows, slinging bales of hay, driving a tractor, becoming a grandmother, and being a lady and mother we will always love, honor, and cherish. We were lucky and we both know it. We are pleased to share in honoring her in the Plaza of Heroines.

 Submitted by: Edna Price Wiser Ida's sister and Nancy Bass & Gary Bass Ida's children