Douglas M. Coates 1940-2012

COATES, WELS, BARTELS, GREENE, SCHMITT, MULLEN, CALONDER, WAECHTER

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 3/21/2018 at 17:50:12

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Douglas M. Coates, 71, of Dubuque, passed away Sunday, May 20, 2012, after a courageous fight with cancer.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 23, at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 3200 Asbury Road, Dubuque, with Pastor DeWayne Teig and Pastor David Moore officiating. Following the service, he will be laid to rest in the Dubuque Memorial Gardens Cemetery, south of Dubuque. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today and from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home, 2659 Kennedy Road, is in charge of arrangements.

He was born on July 16, 1940, in Dubuque, son of Merlin and Marie (Wels) Coates. He graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1959.

Doug served with the Iowa National Guard from 1960 to 1968.

He married Eileen Bartels on May 4, 1968, at

St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Dubuque.

Doug was employed at John Deere Dubuque Works for 30 years, retiring in 1996. Doug owned and operated the family's third generation farm. He was proud of his family and their accomplishments. Working side-by-side on the farm, he established a strong work ethic within his children. Everyone he met was considered a friend.

He was a member of the UAW Local 94, Farm Bureau, Food Resources Bank Committee, Two Cylinder Club and St. Peters Lutheran Church.

Doug enjoyed all life had to offer, attending auctions, collecting and restoring anything John Deere, vacationing, family get-togethers, dancing, playing cards and good conversations. He was an accomplished woodworker, designer and builder of many furniture pieces that are cherished by his family now and into the future. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Surviving are his loving wife of 44 years, Eileen; three sons, Gary (Kathy), of Omaha, Neb., Brian, of Joliet, Ill., Drs. Brad (Beth), of Ames, Iowa; grandsons, Justin, Trevor, Nick and T.J.; his mother, Marie (Wels) Coates; sisters, Elaine (Paul) Greene, LaVonne Schmitt and Linda (Glen) Mullen; brothers and sisters-in-law, Shirley (Keith) Calonder, Merlin Bartels, Dean (Joan) Bartels and David (friend, Robin) Bartels; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Merlin Coates; a grandson, Jacob Coates; and mother and father in-law, Lorene (Waechter) and Harold Bartels.

Memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and St. Peters Lutheran Church.

The family would like to extend a special thank-you to all family and friends for their love and support during Doug's hospitalization. Also, thanks to Dr. Hermann, the staff at Dubuque Internal Medicine, the ER, ICU and 5th floor staff and nurses at The Finley Hospital for the caring and compassionate care they provided.