Dixie A. Bast

 Dixie Ann Bast, 76, of Mason City, died Friday, June 20, 2014 at Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa.  Funeral services were held at on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church, with Pastor Kathy Graves officiating.  Interment took place in Memorial Park Cemetery.  Memorials may be directed to the Dixie Bast memorial fund in care of the family.  Online condolences may be left for the family at www.majorericksonfuneralhome.com.

 Dixie was born Oct. 10, 1937, in Clear Lake, the daughter of Warren C. and Clara E. (Kofoed) Peterson.  She graduated from Mason City High School in 1955, and continued her education at Midwestern College, earning her BA degree in 1957.  Dixie married John R. Bast on March 6, 1982 in Clear Lake.  Over the years, Dixie taught at LaPorte City Community Schools, Emmetsburg Community Schools and Clear Lake Community Schools.  She was a teacher for 42 years, until her retirement in 2000.   Dixie had great patience and loved to go fishing.  She especially loved catching walleye.   She enjoyed traveling to Waterville, Minn., where she and John had a travel trailer.  Dixie was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
 Dixie is survived by her husband of 32 years, John Bast, of Mason City; her mother, Clara Peterson, of Mason City; her brother, Raymond Peterson, and wife, Carol, of Rapid City, S.D.; special niece, Lori Neel, and husband, David, of Mason City; special nephew, Mike Peterson, of Dodgeville, Wis.; brother-in-law, Wayne Bast, of Denver, Iowa; and special cousin, Susan Fouler, and husband, George, of Wisconsin.  She is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.
 She was preceded in death by her father, Warren C. Peterson.
 Arrangements are with Major Erickson Funeral Home and Crematory, Mason City.