Obituaries: Ervin E. Gates, 1964, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: February 20, 1964 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American

Rites At Sikes Thursday

Ervin Gates Loses Life As Home Burns Wednesday

Ervin E. Gates, 82 year old retired farmer, burned to death in a fire, which
destroyed his home in Tannehill about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 26. 

He was either attempting to remove household goods from the fire or looking
for his wife who was safely outside and was not burned.  She was hospitalized
suffering from shock.

Mrs. Gates was able to tell Fire Chief Byron Tullos and her neighbors about
making a least one trip inside the house with her husband.

They managed to remove a mattress, some books, and a few other articles.

Mrs. Delia Long said Mrs. Gates told her of calling for help while making
trips back and forth to the house removing items from it.

Mrs. Floyd Gates and Mrs. Arch Allen each tried separate party line telephones
in the houses next door but the fire had knocked the phones out of order.

Howard Boyette, who lives next door to the burned house, ran to the home of
Dr. Jack Evans nearby.  Mrs. Evans telephoned the fire department.

Their home is on a private line.

Several minutes lapsed during this period between the time the fire was
discovered and the time firemen were notified.

A fire truck was dispatched at 12:45 a.m. and when it arrived the building
was a sea of flame.

Firemen pumped water from the truck and a borrow pit near the highway for an
hour before whipping down the flames.

The Gates home was frame, about 30 by 40 feet with an outside entrance at the
front and one at the rear.

Remains of Mr. Gates were located in a bedroom at the southwest corner of the
house.

He was overcome by the fire about 15 feet from the rear doorway.

Mr. Gates was a retired farmer, but in the spring and summer sold fruits and
vegetables from a little market beside U. S. Highway 167 in front of his home.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Jetty Harper,
Dodson; four sons, Harley E. Gates, Clarence, Floyd N. and Elton Gates,
Tannehill, and Alva H. Gates, West Monroe; five brothers, Jesse Gates, Clarks;
Sam and Oliver, Sikes; Robert Gates, Joyce; and Huey Gates, Crowville; three
sisters, Mrs. Randy Kennedy, Edgewood, Texas, Mrs. Jewel Holloway, Monroe, and
Mrs. Letha Busby, Crowville; 16 grandchildren and 34 great grandchildren.

Funeral services were scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Thursday, February 25, in the
Sikes Baptist Church with the Rev. Kenneth F. Wall and the Rev. George Foster
in charge.

Burial was in the Sikes Cemetery under the direction of Southern Funeral Home.