Neva Jo (Phifer) Bass

Neva Jo Phifer Bass was born on February 10, 1934 in McAdoo, TX to the home of Mae (Carmack) and Emmitt Phifer, and departed this life on September 5, 2020 at age 86 in Portales.

A funeral service for Neva Bass will be held at 2:00 PM, on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Chaplain Lemuel Perry officiating.  Burial will follow in the Mt. Zion Cemetery with Brent Bass, Joe Kelting, Lyndon Hardin, Jordan Bass, Cody Knoll and Rene Hernandez serving as pallbearers Josh Bass will be an honorary pallbearer.

Neva was born in McAdoo, Texas. She was raised with her sister, Reta and brother, Lavelle on a cotton farm.  She attended school in McAdoo where she was active in sports, especially basketball.  At the age of 17, she married James Bass in 1951.  Jim’s work as a telephone lineman, trouble shooter and engineer for Alpha Construction Co. took them to many states in the mid-west from south Texas to Wisconsin. In 1962, they moved their four children back to Texas and spent one year in her hometown of McAdoo before moving to Lubbock where Jim went to work for Hicks & Ragland Engineering.  In December 1969, they moved to Dalhart Texas after a brief stay in Hereford.  After Jim retired, they bought a donut shop and bakery.  It was here they finished raising their children before moving to Portales in 1991. Neva was creative person – an excellent cook and baker. She enjoyed sewing, cross stitch and crochet.  She will be remembered by her family for her steadfast love and devotion to her husband and children. 

Neva is survived by two sons, Jerry Bass of Portales, New Mexico and wife Kathy, Jim Bass and wife Donna of Amarillo, Texas, a daughter, Judy Hardin of Amarillo, Texas and 15 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.

Neva was preceded in death by her parents, a baby sister, a son, Joe in 1996 and her husband Jim in 2019.

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