Obituary for Minnie Marie Bash

Minnie Marie Bash, 99, of Forest, passed away on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 while in the care of Bridge Hospice Care Center at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Kenton on July 7, 1925 to Ira Franklin “Frank” Flinn and Mary “Mamie” Jane (Reefer) Flinn, the second youngest of five girls. She married her loving husband of 73 years, Kenneth C. Bash, the second youngest of five boys, on March 9, 1947. He proceeded her in death on June 24, 2020.
Surviving them are two daughters: Connie (the late Dwight) Mattix of Wharton and Bonnie (David) Barnes of Forest, three grandchildren: Rhonda (Bert) Grubbs of Kenton, Mandy (Bryan) Morrison of Forest and Megan (John) Leonard of Findlay, as well as six great grandchildren: Alexis and Bert Andy Grubbs, Dakota and Brynn Morrison, and Addison and Cameron Leonard. She is also survived by two step-great-grandchildren, Thomas and Michael Leonard. Many nieces and nephews also survive throughout the states of Ohio and Utah. In addition to her parents and her husband, Minnie was also preceded in death by all four of her sisters: Mary Evelyn George, Ruthella Mae Cludy, Wanda Mae Staley, and Norma Jane Sherman.
Minnie graduated from Forest High School in 1944, with the dream of being a farmer’s wife. At age 19, Minnie’s sweetheart Kenny proposed to her at the Wyandot County Fair just one day before leaving to serve in the United States Army in the Second World War. Despite participating in some of the most deadly events on the western front, including the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, the Liberation of France and Belgium, and the Battle of the Bulge, Kenny made it home to his beloved in 1946, and they would marry the following March.
After the birth of their two daughters, the Bash family moved into a house outside of Forest that Minnie called home until the very end. Fulfilling her dream, Minnie and her family would cultivate over 600 acres of farm ground between their own property and the property of family.
Minnie was very artistic throughout her life, and this would be passed down through her family tree. Her love of sewing is reflected in the immaculate and detailed quilts made by her eldest daughter, Connie, while her passion for tole painting is evident in the near perfect brush strokes of her younger daughter, Bonnie. It’s no surprise that Minnie would spend many of her days after the passing of her husband helping with the family craft business. Known affectionally as “Grandma” by family friends, community members, and customers of the family business, she was happy to see smiling faces and would often “people watch” whenever given the opportunity, especially at craft shows.
As a dedicated homemaker, Minnie enjoyed tending to her yard and baking sweets for her husband, including peanut butter pie, cakes, and Depression-era recipes such as “suet pudding” which did, in fact, get some weird looks from the rest of the family! She had a deep love for her cats, making the trek outside to feed them daily up to just weeks before her passing. Minnie was a proud, lifelong Democrat, which led to a lot of interesting conversations, being that her husband was a proud, lifelong Republican! As a devout Christian, Minnie was a member of  Big Oak United Methodist Church for over 70 years. At the time of her passing, Minnie was actively attending both Heritage Christian Union Church and St. Marks United Methodist Church. She requested that her family recite the Lord’s Prayer with her several times while in hospice care.
While it may seem unusual to describe the passing of a 99-year-old woman as ‘untimely,’ Mrs. Minnie Bash was truly an institution in her community. She planted all but one of the dozens of trees on her property, all of which stand so tall that one would imagine they’ve been there since the beginning of time. Every one has a story about Mrs. Bash because every one grew up with Mrs. Bash. To say she will be dearly missed by all those who knew her at some point or another is an understatement.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00pm on Friday, August 23, 2024 in the Clark Shields Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 11:00am until the time of services at the funeral home. A Christian burial will follow at the Wharton-Richland Union Cemetery in Wharton, where she will be with her beloved Kenny for the rest of time.
Pastors Dan Metzger and Ken Gray will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Wyandot County Council On Aging, Heritage Christian Union Church (Forest), and/or St. Marks United Methodist Church