Jane Bass

BOONE, Iowa— Ella Jane Bass, known as Jane to everyone, age 93 of Boone, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at the Eastern Star Masonic Home.

Jane was born on April 7, 1932, in Boone, Iowa, to Edward and Louise (Tonsfeldt) Shell. She grew up on a farm west of Boone alongside her siblings Verdine, Iola, Mary Lou, Mahlon, Leland, Fran, Karen, and Joyce, as well as infant siblings Emma and John, who passed shortly after birth.

Jane was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Boone on May 22, 1932, and confirmed on April 10, 1949. She graduated from Boone High School in 1950. Jane worked at Boyd’s Dairy and then Nelson’s Lumber Yard, which later became Nelson’s Doo It Store, and then at Herrald Drug, which became Medicap Pharmacy. She enjoyed her years as a store clerk and cherished the opportunity to connect with so many in the Boone community.

On December 17, 1952, Jane married Jack Bass. Together, they raised five children in Boone: Joan, Janine, Chris, Matt, and Chad. Jane really enjoyed their annual vacations to northern Minnesota, and later, many memories were created at the family’s cabin on Palmer Lake with their children and grandchildren.

Jane loved baking and had a sweet tooth. You could always count on multiple pies or a selection of cookies when you came to visit. Her legacy of delicious treats lives on with her handwritten recipes that have been passed down to her family. She also enjoyed cooking, reading, poetry, watching Wheel of Fortune and Antiques Roadshow, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Jane is survived by her children, Joan Faust, Janine (Ben) Bennett, Chris Bass, Matt Bass, and Chad (Jill) Bass; her grandchildren, Mike (Alison) Faust, Megan (Matt) Rigg, Kelli (Justus) Harris, Sam Bass, and Wendy Bass; and her great-grandchildren, Will and Max Faust, Forrest Rigg, and Liv and Leo Harris. She is also survived by her siblings, Mary Lou Sullivan, Mahlon (Fern) Shell, and Joyce (Ken) Patten; her sister-in-law, Alma Shell; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by husband, Jack; her son-in-law, Daryl Faust; her sisters, Verdine Bergling, Iola Leland, Fran Grabbert, and Karen Roush; her brother, Leland Shell; infant siblings, Emma and John; and her parents, Ed and Louise Shell.

A funeral service will be held Monday, October 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM at the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel, 1006 6th Street, Boone, with Rev. Michael Standfest officiating. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service. A private burial will take place in Maas Cemetery, Ogden, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. Croix Hospice.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Jane’s family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com.