Wesley Davis Bashaw, 90 years old, was born June 23rd, 1927 in Eliasville, Texas to Carroll and Oda Bashaw. He took Pauline Horton – his bride and joy – to be his wife in August of 1951. Sixty-seven years later he fulfilled his vow to her, “Till death do us part!” after he fell asleep in his home in Anderson, Texas, on Saturday, June 16th, 2018, and woke up, to his great delight, in the presence of Jesus. His daughter, Linda Carol, his parents, and his brother and sister, were all there to greet him as well.
Wesley lived a full and meaningful life. He was a 2 year army veteran in the Korean Conflict, a machinist right out of the military, and a branch owner of a Farmer’s Insurance Agency for 21 years after that. During that time he also became a member of the Masonic Lodge and a volunteer youth director at the Southside Baptist Church for 20 years where he saw 12 young men surrender to full time gospel ministry and then travel all over the United States holding revival meetings.
In 1989 he sold his insurance business so that he and Pauline could go into full-time mission work, too. Their first assignment with the Mission Service Corps, was in north central Texas for 6 years; they then joined the North American Mission Board where they served for 16 years on the Eastern Seaboard from Florida to Maine, as well as in Canada, Puerto Rico and Hawaii.
From those who knew him best, Wesley was a tireless servant, a faithful husband, a generous father, and a joy-filled grand and great-grandfather, who possessed a strong-moral compass and was always ready with a quick quip. He was a hard-worker who loved to disappear into his workshop for hours at a time, and, though a diabetic, could hardly resist a good dessert. He also nearly always apologized if you sat next to him at the dinner table for his left-handedness.
Wesley leaves behind – though not without hope – his loyal and doting wife, Pauline, his son Bobby and wife, Kay; his son-in-law Bill Dozier and wife Donna; four grandchildren and their spouses: Kerry and Jennifer Bashaw, Kristy and Michael Covey, Carly and Allen McHenry, and Jaime and Chris Hantla; eleven great-grandchildren: Noah, Riley and Isaac Bashaw, Ella and Abby Covey, Kailey, Caden and Emma McHenry, and Layla, Asher and Abigail Hantla; as well as a nephew, Robert Carroll Bashaw and his wife.
We will celebrate Wesley’s life this Thursday, June 21st, at Meador Funeral Home in Gainesville, Texas at 10am. Visitations will be held at the same location the day before at 7pm. Reverend Wiley Sullivan – pastor of Woodbine Baptist Church, where Wes and Pauline have been longtime members – will be officiating the ceremony. Following the ceremony will be a graveside service at Fairview Cemetery.