Kathryn Louise Perkins

Kathryn Louise Bassett Proctor Perkins. August 1, 1911 to February 4. 2013

Kathryn peacefully passed away on February 4, 2013 at the home of her youngest son in Bakersfield. Kathryn was born in Delano, California. the first child of Charles Marshall Bassett and Ethel Maria Livingston. They were homesteading a 60 acre farm east of Delano.

Charles and Ethel were former residents of Illinois where he had farmed and she was a school teacher. Kathryn had 2 sisters and four brothers, The family farmed grapes, cotton. olives, and Mr. Bassett’s famous vegetables and fruits. They also raised 400 turkeys for Thanksgiving every year.

Kathryn attended elementary and high school in Delano and then went on to graduate from UCLA where she studied to be a dietitian and played the violin in the university orchestra. After graduating she went to work at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles where she met and married Willis Walter Proctor, formerly from Kansas. While living in LA they had 3 Children. After WWII, they moved to Delano to live on Kathryn’s parents farm. There they had twins, a boy and girl.

Willis. known as Bill. worked in the air conditioning business in Delano and Kathryn was a wonderful mother to their five children until the twins were in school .Then she became an elementary school teacher in Richgrove which is north east of Delano. In 1960 the family moved to Bakersfield where they continued the same careers . Bill passed away in 1977 and Kathryn married Robert Perkins in 1982. He passed away in 2002. In 2003 she moved to Valley Springs Ca. to live with her oldest son and his wife. She moved back to Bakersfield in 2012 to live with her youngest son and his wife.

Kathryn is survived by her youngest sister, Dorothy Jelcick of Sacramento, her children, Willis Walter Proctor II, Esther Ann Proctor Chrostowski, Gretchen Louise Proctor Brownlow Lee. Judith Nell Proctor Folsom and James Benjamin Proctor, 17 grand children. 35 great grand children and 3 great great grand children. Kathryn was dearly loved by all who had the privilege to know her and will be greatly missed. Almost all of the family members gathered to celebrate her her100th birthday in 2011. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Hoffmann Hospice 8501 Brimhall Rd , Bakersfield Ca 93312 .

Burial will beheld at Hillcrest Memorial Park 9101 Kern Canyon Rd. Bakersfield CA 93306. On February 11th at 11 a.m