High School / College

Mary Wilson graduated from high school in 1940.

B.A., Interior Design, University of Washington, Seattle (UW), Seattle, WA. She pledged to Chi Omega Sorority in 1941-1942.

Relocation

Mary Stuart Wilson was born in Seattle, WA, and resided during her early years in the family house built in the Fauntleroy neighborhood of West Seattle at 9006 Fauntleroy Avenue. According to her obituary published in the Seattle Times, "Mary grew up with her parents and 3 siblings in the 3rd house built (1910) in the Fauntleroy area of West Seattle, at the foot of what's now the ferry dock (which didn't exist then). When they built that house, Indians still occasionally camped on the beach and the last surviving "Mercer Girl" lived in the house across the gully. Some of Mary's fondest memories were leaping from log to log on the beach and Mr. Colman's Horsehead Bay summer camp." (See Seattle Times.com, "Mary Bassetti June 28, 1922-July 8, 2020," published 12/27/2020, accessed 09/17/2021.)

In 1930, Mary Wilson lived here with her parents and three siblings, Jane, Forbes and John, at 9006 Fauntleroy Way. Their dwelling had a value of $10,000 in 1930, a substantial sum for the time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 42A; Enumeration District: 0210; FHL microfilm: 2342238, accessed 09/20/2021.) A decade later, the 1940 US Census listed Mary living with her parents and an aunt, Bertha M. Forbes (born c. 1870 in IL) in the same house at 9006 Fauntleroy. The house's value had a much lower estimate of $5,500 according to the census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04383; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 40-332, accessed 09/21/2021.)

Parents

Both of Mary Wilson's parents had come from Illinois originally and both were college graduates, which was quite unusual for the time. Her father was the Seattle architect Joseph Wade Wilson (born 02/09/1878 in -d. 09/07/1968).

Mary's mother was Marjorie Douglas Forbes (born 04/04/1882 in IL -d. 03/26/1985 in King County, WA), who lived to be almost 103 years old. Marjorie was an early female college graduate. She attended the University of Illinois Academy during 1898-1899 and graduated with an A.B. degree in 1903. (See University of Illinois Directory, 1916, [Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois, 1916], p. 217.) Mary's obituary stated of her: "Her mother Marjorie, a homemaker, was well known in Fauntleroy for her spectacular gardens and whimsical humor." (See Seattle Times.com, "Mary Bassetti June 28, 1922-July 8, 2020," published 12/27/2020, accessed 09/17/2021.) Marjorie came from a learned family, her father, Henry Clinton Forbes (born 05/19/1833 in Cortland County, NY), supervising the schools in the towns of Delavan, IL, Polo, IL, and Princeton, IL. (See Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of Daniel Forbush, [Published by Frederick Clifton Pierce, printed by Rand, McNally and Company, Chicago, 1892], pp. 121-122.)

Mary's three siblings included Jane Wilson MacGowan (born 09/24/1911 in Seattle,WA-d. 07/15/2005 in Clackamas County, OR), Forbes Wilson (born 03/30/1915 in Seattle, WA-d. 04/29/1999 in Houston, TX), and John Robert Wilson (born 09/15/1916 in Seattle, WA-d. 07/16/2006 in San Bernardino County, CA). Jane MacGowan became a music teacher by 1959, living at 9331 47th Avenue SW in 1959. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1959, p. 1017.) Forbes Wilson became an engineer, working in 1956 as the Assistant Chief Engineer for the Trunline Gas Company in Houston. (See Houston, Texas, City Directory, 1956, p. 1569.) John Robert Wilson married at least twice during his life and resided in Colton, CA, toward the end of his life.

Spouse

She married Frederick Forde Bassetti (1917-2013) on 07/26/1944 in King County, WA. Rev. Josiah R. Bartlett of the University Unitarian Church in Seattle married the couple. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013; Reference Number: kingcoarchmcvol130_380, accessed 09/20/2021.) Fred Bassetti filed for divorce on 02/18/1971. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington State Divorce Indexes, 1969-2014, accessed 09/20/2021.)

Children

Fred and Mary Wilson Bassetti had three daughters: Ann Bassetti, Catherine Bassetti and Margaret Bassetti.

Biographical Notes

Mary Bassetti, her husband and two daughters--Ann and Catherine--set sail from New York, NY, on 02/10/1956 bound for Naples, Italy, aboard the American Export Liner, S.S. Independence. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Series Title: Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels and Airplanes Departing from New York, New York, 07/01/1948-12/31/1956; NAI Number: 3335533; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: A4169; NARA Roll Number: 359, accessed 09/21/2021.)