Obit of Bates, Bill E. - Payne County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 18 Dec 2005 Return to Payne County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/payne/payne.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== :Highland Cemetery--Lawton OK Becker Funeral Home Obit Bill E. Bates Age 85, Lawton, Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Friday in Centenary United Methodist Church with Rev. William F. Todd, Senior Pastor, officiating. Mr. Bates died Tuesday in Lawton. Burial with military honors will be in Highland Cemetery under the direction of the Becker Funeral Home. He was born July 11, 1919 in Cushing, Oklahoma. He grew up in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and enlisted in the Oklahoma National Guard serving with the 45th Infantry Division during World War II. His awards include one overseas service bar, the European African Middle Eastern Theater Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, the Good Conduct Medal, Purple Heart and the American Defense Service Medal. Following his discharge he worked a number of jobs and later retired from Civil Service at Fort Sill in 1974 after more than 20 years service. He was married to LaVerne Stoner on September 25, 1942 at Alva, Oklahoma. She died March 28, 1995. He was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church and the VFW. He had been a member of the Oddfellow Lodge and very active in coaching little league baseball. Survivors include three daughters and sons in law, Jeanne and Kenneth Childers, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Pam and Jim Garrett, Lawton, and Margie and Jim Whitaker, Vine Grove, Kentucky; two sons and daughters in law, Bill Bates, Jr. and wife Tina, Columbus, Georgia, and Stan and Liz Bates, Apache, Oklahoma; a brother, Joe Bates, Tooele, Utah; 12 Grandchildren, Kenneth Childers, Jr., Karen Pitman, Patrick Garrett and wife Bridgette, Michelle Sampson and husband Josh, Keri Bates and husband John, Shauna Whitaker, Jason Whitaker, Jessica Bates, Kevin Bates and wife Kali, Amy Bates, Jeremy Bates and wife Maris, Crystal Bailey and husband Daniel; 17 Great Grandchildren, Jessie, Stephen, Misti, Zach, Tyler, Paige, James, Kylie, Anna, Wade, Dalton, Chloe, Emma, Timothy, Olivia, Heather and Dustin; one great great granddaughter, Emma. An infant daughter, Billie Ann Bates, and a sister, Sue Flores, preceded him in death. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60601. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Payne County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/payne/payne.html