CATES, Thomas L.

CATES, LYMAN, SMITH, ROBINSON, MCCLAREN

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 12/15/2006 at 16:52:12

Thomas L. Cates

Thomas L. Cates, 50, of Cherokee passed away Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006, at a Sioux City hospital from injuries suffered in a one vehicle accident east of Cherokee.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, with the Rev. Larry Nilson officiating. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Military rites follow the service Friday at the funeral home. Visitation will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., at the funeral home.

Tom was born March 25, 1956, in Cherokee, to James L. and Rosemary (Lyman) Cates. He was baptized at First Church of Christ in Cherokee. He graduated from Cherokee Washington High School with the class of 1974. He served in the U.S. Army from 1974 to 1976 and from 1981 to 1992, serving in Desert Storm.

He was married to Teresa Ann Smith on Aug. 19, 1978, in Cherokee. He lived in Cherokee the past 14 years and had resided in Germany, Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Bliss, Texas. He had worked at VT Industries, Tyson Foods and was currently employed at Wal-Mart in Storm Lake, Iowa.

He enjoyed fishing, hunting and trapping with his family.

He is survived by his wife, Teresa; two sons, Shane James Cates and his special friend, Shana, and her daughter, Rhiannon, of Larrabee, Iowa, and Tony Fay Cates of Fort Bliss, Texas, currently serving in Iraq; two sisters, Madonna and Bob Robinson of San Antonio, Texas, and Linda and Gary McClaren of Sutherland, Iowa; five brothers, Jim and Jeannie Cates of Albert Lea, Minn., Bill Cates and his special friend, Juanita, of Cherokee, Chester and Karla Cates of Cherokee, Randy Cates of Des Moines and Brian and LaReina Cates of Fort Riley, Kan., currently serving in Iraq; his father and stepmother, James and Rose Cates of Spirit Lake, Iowa; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Rosemary; and a niece, Bonnie Robinson.