John "Jack" Sewanee Baskin, Jr.

Jack Baskin, the first child of John and Mary Briggs Baskin, was born in Summerton, Clarendon County, South Carolina, on 6 August 1913.

Jack enlisted in the United States Navy on 6 August 1931. The 1942 Army Register lists his ranks as apprentice seamen, seamen second class, seamen first class, QM [Quartermaster] 3rd class and QM 2nd class, with a final date of service of 3 August 1935.

According to the 1940 census (see below), Jack was living in rural Clarendon County on 1 April 1935.  Presumably he would enter Clemson College in the fall of 1935.  He graduated from Clemson in the class of 1939, and accept his commission as a second lieutenant in U.S. Army (Infantry Branch) on September 1, 1939.  Shortly afterwards, on 11 December 1939, he married Frances Hart (1917-1957) in Columbia, South Carolina.

1940 census.  Fort Screven (Tybee Island), Chatham County, GA; page 61A

From this census enumeration we can see that 26-year-old Jack and 22-year-old Francis are living on 1 Officers Row at Fort Screven. The two "NO" answers are to the questions, 1) were they living on a farm?, and 2) were either of them in school or college on 1 March 1940? 

1948 Army Register

1966 Army Register

After Fort Screven, Jack was assigned to Fort Gordon, Georgia.  He then completed Infantry School at Fort Benning and was assigned to Camp Robinson in Arkansas.

His date of rank to 1st Lieutenant was Oct 1940; Captain, Feb 1942; Major 11 Jan 1943.  This information remains the same until the 1946 Register, where "BSM" [Bronze Star Medal] is added.  Date of Rank to LTC 8 Jan 1946.  Subsequent Registers show that Jack was awarded his second Bronze Star (OLC: oak leaf cluster awarded for each subsequent award) and two Army Commendation Ribbons (CR).  The varying dates of rank reflect demobilization after WWII and Korea and transfer between reserve and active Army components.  More research will be needed to explain the two dates of rank to Colonel (1/31/1961 and 9/1/1964) my "guess" would be temporary and permanent ranks.

The family lived in Germany for a while after the war.

He retired at the rank of Colonel in September of 1969.

He and Frances had the following children:

• Frances Hart Baskin
• John Sewanee Baskin, Jr.
• Eleanor Childs Baskin

On 17 October 1958, he married Jewel Breeland Senn (1913-1999).

1939 Clemson	1939 Clemson
Wedding Photo C. 1940	Frances Hart	Jack's Obituary
		Jack in Battle of the Bulge Presentation from 2016 Reunion

Edward "Bubba" Briggs Baskin, Sr.

Edward Briggs Baskin was born on 23 May, 1915 in Summerton, Clarendon County, South Carolina.

He married Claribel Nance Gee (1919-2013) about 1941. They had the following children:

• Maryanne Sinkler Baskin

• Edward Briggs "Nick" Baskin, Jr.

• Gist Gee Baskin (1947-1953)

On 4 February 1967, he married Kathleen Lazar DeBerry.

1958 Swearing In Ceremony State Senate?	Mary Anne & Nick C. 1946	Uncle Bubba & Miss Kat Nov. 29, 2001

Thomas Croswell Baskin, Sr.

Thomas Croswell Baskin was born on 26 November 1916, in Bishopville, Lee County South Carolina. The family had moved from Summerton to a farm outside of Bishopville shortly before his birth.

In about 1948, Thomas married Elizabeth Buford DuBose. They had the following children:

• Thomas Croswell Baskin, Jr.
• Beverly DuBose Baskin
• Barry Richardson Baskin
• Barbara Buford Baskin

C 1958?	Kids C. 1961
Family Portrait 1958

Richard Richardson "Dick" Baskin

Richard Richardson Baskin was born 17 August 1920 in Bishopville, Lee County, South Carolina.

Leaves Clemson and enlists in US Army Air Corps 6 April 1942.

On March 23, 1949, he married Carrie Lee Hancock at the Bethlehem Methodist Church in Bishopville.

They had the following children:

• Norvelle Anne Baskin
• Leila Baskin
• Jean Baskin
• Richard Richardson Baskin, Jr. (1956-2003)

Freshman Year Clemson 1939	Clemson 1940 Yearbook
	Newspaper Clipping
Uncle Dick's B-17 Crew (bottom right)	Wedding	50th Wedding Anniversary (Photo and article)
		March 14, 1945 Letter to Norvelle Click headline for PDF of article Click here for transcription
Time sheet showing Dick's deployment back to the States after the war Click for details.
Obit

Anne Sinkler "Mitt" Baskin

Anne Sinkler Baskin was born on 12 January 1922 in Bishopville, Lee County, South Carolina.

On 16 November 1943, she married Albert "Marshall" LaBree, Jr. Tragically, Marshall would die in a military training plane crash in Baldwin County, Alabama, a month later, on 18 December 1943.

In about 1947, she married George Gregg Cooper, Sr. (1913-1957). They had the following children:

• George Gregg Cooper, Jr.
• Marsha Anne Cooper
• Thomas English Cooper

She married Archibald James Beattie, Jr. (1913-2005).

	Obit from The State (3/15/1986) George G. Cooper's Will
With Marshall Labree May 1943

Norvelle "Noby" Baskin

Norvelle Baskin was born on 2 July, 1927, in Bishopville, Lee County, South Carolina.

On 15 December 1951, she married James Foster Cathcart. They had the following children:

• James Foster "Hap" Cathcart, Jr. (1953-1953)
• John Thomas Cathcart
• Daisy Jean Cathcart
• Lisa Baskin Cathcart

C 1928	Circa 1931	Norvelle and Bill Christian
Jack Baskin holding Norvelle and Bill Christian	Senior Yearbook 1944	Engagement	Wedding

Note: all the pictures that come up when you click them have been compressed to between 15 and 35K so they are faster to download off the internet.  If you'd like a more detailed picture, please email me and I'll send you one to your email account.  These pictures will be clearer... but they'll also be a lot bigger (150-300K) and will take a long time to download into your email program.

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