Basil “Base” D. Brock, 89, of Humboldt, passed away December 22, 2014 at the Long Term Care Unit of the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 27, 2014, at the Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt with the Rev. Christy Ehrle officiating. Interment will be in Union Cemetery, Humboldt with full military rites by the Sathers-Odgaard Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5240 and Adams American Legion Post 119. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Friday at the Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt.
Base is survived by his wife of nearly 65 years, Pat of Humboldt; his children, Steve (Sandie) Brock of Storm Lake, Randy (Carrie) Brock of Postville, Janna (Greg) Emick of Humboldt; grandchildren, Tyler (Amy) Brock, Aaron (Kelly) Brock, Sarah (Nick) Schluter, Brad (Ashley) Emick, Matt (Jeni) Emick, Ryan Brock, and Kyle (Nadine) Brock; great grandchildren, Carter and Aiden Brock, Ty and Mia Schluter, Noah, Cameron, and Bayla Brock, Zade and Reed Brock, Kesley and Korie Emick, and Mollie and Vander Emick; and brother-in-law, Jim Funderburk of Des Moines. He was preceded in death by his parents; his grandson, Cory Brock; brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Edith Brock; and sister, Doris Funderburk.
Basil Dean Brock, the son of Viggo and Grace (Fowler) Brock, was born April 8, 1925 at Battle Creek, Iowa where he was raised and educated. Base graduated from Battle Creek High School where he excelled in Basketball and was named Des Moines Register’s Player of the Week. He was drafted into the Army and served as a medic in the European Theater during World War II. Following his honorable discharge, Base returned home and attended Morningside College where he played basketball and baseball and graduated with a degree in education. It was while at Morningside that he met Pat Hamand. The couple was united in marriage on July 30, 1950 at the Sioux Rapids Methodist Church. They made their home at Rossie and Base began his career as a teacher of History and Economics and baseball and basketball coach in the Greenville-Rossie School district. In 1954, he accepted a position in the Bode School system where he served as a history and economics teacher, guidance counselor, driver’s education instructor and girls and boys baseball and basketball coach. He retired from teaching in 1975 and he and Pat made their home at Humboldt where Base worked for the Schwann’s company until his final retirement in 1987.
In his retirement, Base remained active as a driver for Humboldt residents needing rides to where ever they needed to go throughout the Midwest. He enjoyed stamp collecting, playing golf and cards, and occasional trips to the casino. In his younger years, Base played town team baseball and basketball. He was a member of the Faith United Methodist Church and a past member of the Humboldt Lions Club and the Masonic Lodge.