Bessie Mree Coffelt, 86, longtime Osawatomie resident, died Friday, Oct. 10, 1997, at Country Haven Nursing Center in Paola.

She was born Dec. 2, 1910, in Petis County, MO, near Versailles, the youngest of four children born to Hiram Eugene and Winneford Bryant Casto.

The family moved to Osawatomie when she was a small child. She attended the Osawatomie schools, graduating from Osawatomie High School with the Class of 1929. She was very proud that she played basketball on the Osawatomie High School basketball team.

She was married Aug. 6, 1929, to Basil Benjamin Coffelt in Greeley. They made their home in Osawatomie and became the parents of a son. Her husband preceded her in death.

Mrs. Coffelt was a member of the First Baptist Church of Osawatomie.

Others preceding her in death were he parents, two brothers and a sister.

Surviving are her son, Basil Dean Coffelt of Osawatomie; five grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren, and a special niece, Mary McDougal of Lane.

Services were at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home in Osawatomie. The Rev. Leslie King officiated. Jean Smith and Nancye Snyder sang "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Will the Circle be Unbroken?" accompanied at the organ by Julie Weaver.

Burial was in the Osawatomie Cemetery. Pallbearers were Benjamin Alan Coffelt, Chad Allan Coffelt, Joshua Neil Coffelt, Robert Melvin Sobba, Nolan Ryan Sobba, Lt. Col. James Andrew McRoberts, Jesse Dean McRoberts and Ethan Nicholas Bailey.

Memorials may be made to the Osawatomie High School Scholarship Fund.