Ruth Inez Basey

Ruth Inez Basey passed away on Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Carmel, Indiana. Ruth was born in Moss, Tennessee on November 28, 1926 and attended the local Beach Bethany School. She relocated with her parents to a Tipton County farm in the 1940’s and lived in the area for the remainder of her life. Ruth was a woman of faith and was a long-term member of the East Union Christian Church, though she was unable to attend in person for several years.

Ruth was predeceased by her husband of seventy-three years, Max Hunt Basey who died in 2017. She was also predeceased by her parents Bee and Bertha (Head) Dunning, a brother Radford Dunning and his wife Martha and a brother Charles Dunning along with a grandson Alex Brown and a step granddaughter Connie.

For the last few years, Ruth lived with her two daughters – Carolyn and LouAnn- and she will be missed by them every day. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Max Anthony “Tony” Brown and Michelle (Dontay) Bady; a granddaughter-in-law Beth Brown; four grandchildren, Zachary, Jacob, Tyler and Jordan; a step grandson Jeff, two step granddaughters Amy and Sue, and two great-grandchildren Carter Alexander and Amelia Grace. Ruth also considered “double” nephews Rex (Charlene) Dunning and Ron (Jan) Dunning and “double” niece Rita (Dave) Smith to be “extra” children.

Throughout Ruth’s life she found happiness in the simple pleasures such as working in her vegetable garden or keeping her house spotless inside and out. In her endeavors to keep everything spotless, Ruth was often noticed washing her car under the shade tree or sweeping her long driveway. Ruth also had an adventurous streak that led her to travel throughout the United States alongside her husband, Max. A trip to Yellowstone with Max, her young daughters, her parents and her brother stood out as one of her favorite memories and one that she often reminisced about. She and Max also spent seventeen consecutive winters with friends in Florida. More recently, she was most happy while riding through the Tipton County countryside to admire the crops. Simply put, Ruth was a hard-working wife and mother who was thoroughly devoted to making life better for the people she loved. She will be sorely missed.

A private family graveside service will be held at Union Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to East Union Christian Church, 1711 E 296th St,, Atlanta, IN, 46031.

Young-Nichols Funeral Home is honored to assist the Basey family in their time of need. On-line condolences may be made at: www.young-nichols.com.