Alma June Bascom peacefully passed into the presence of the Lord on March 7, 2015.

Alma was born to Peter and Katie Classen on July 10, 1924, and was raised in Meade, Kan., where her Mennonite family farmed wheat. The “dustbowl” and crop failures caused the family to move west, where they moved to Dallas, Ore., and eventually settled in Dinuba, Calif.

Alma graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, now known as Biola University, where she met and married Harry Bascom. She devoted her life to the service of others, as a pastor’s wife, missionary and mother of four children. Fluent in several languages, the family moved to Venezuela while working for the Orinoco River Mission during their early-married years.

Once back in the United States, the young family settled in the San Gabriel Valley, where they raised their children, Kenneth, Eddie, Carolyn and Stephen. She was a teacher with Child Evangelism Fellowship, sharing the Gospel in her home weekly with neighborhood children. She was involved in Mission’s Committee and Pioneer Club, and taught Sunday School.

After the children were raised, Alma accompanied her husband, Harry, all over the world. Working with Wycliffe Bible Translators as counselors to people working abroad, she especially loved assisting young mothers with sewing and encouraging them in their roles as mothers raising the next generation. After a number of years of service with Wycliffe, they moved to Santa Barbara, where she resumed her role as a pastor’s wife at Trinity Baptist Church. Alma began a ministry of visiting each new baby born to the congregation. She was also active in providing premarital counseling in Santa Barbara.

Alma was particularly known as a woman who served others, generously taking in many young adults in need of a stable home. There were many times when a new face was at the breakfast table, having arrived in the night needing a place to stay. She was gracious and a good listener. She loved sewing, gardening and the art of homemaking.

Alma was predeceased by her husband of 62 years and by her eldest son, Ken. She leaves a devoted family that includes her daughter-in-law, Greer, sons Ed with wife Debi and Steve with wife Audrey, and daughter Carolyn with husband Dr. Paul Aijian. Additionally, she leaves her 10 grandchildren: Joel with wife Stephanie, Faith with husband Chuck Koontz, Jeremy with wife Lori, Janell with husband Nick Jones, Rachel with husband Scott DuPar, Daniel, Laura, Katie with husband Jason Lekas, Zac with wife Jill, and Brett. She counted Audrey’s children as her own grandchildren: Jillian, Nick and Caitlin Holmboe. Her 20 great-grandchildren are Corrie, Wesley, Jack, Peter, Caleb, Joel, Lelia, Olivia, Elliott, Timothy, Naomi, Evangeline, Haven, Weston, Emma, Holly, Chloe, Seth, Shem and Asher (on the way). She is survived by her five siblings: Albert Classen, Leo Classen, Anna Weins, Marian Smith and Melvina Wingo.

The family would like to thank niece Karyn Whiteman for her loving help during Alma’s last days. We would also like to thank the many caregivers of Independent Nurse Consulting, who enriched her life and helped her stay at home until her transition to heaven.

Alma’s body will be interred at Rose Hills, and a memorial service is planned for Palm Sunday, March 29, at 2 p.m. at Shoreline Community Church, 935 San Andres St. in Santa Barbara. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Biola University in La Mirada or San Marcos Christian Camp in Santa Barbara.