James Bates

BATES, BROWN, CROFFORD, CULVER, KANESS, PRUITT, SEALS, SHEARER, WHITED

Posted By: Jerry Hale (email)
Date: 6/7/2011 at 22:22:32

[UNKNOWN NEWSPAPER; posted to Ancestry Family Trees by Maurine S. LeBlanc, courtesy of Marjorie]

OBITUARY OF A PIONEER

Telling the Life Story of James Bates, Deceased

James Bates was born in Richland county, Ohio, Feb. 4, 1823, and died on his farm, five miles south of Ames, July 10, 1908, being at his death 85 years, 5 months and 6 days of age.

Father Bates' first marriage occurred Aug. 3, 1843, to Miss Matilda Culver. To this union was born one son and two daughters. The wife died Dec 10, 1848. One daughter of this marriage, Mrs. J. B. Seals of Cambridge, survives. He was united in marriage the second time Jan. 10, 1850, to Miss Arvilla Maria Crofford. To this union 8 children were born, 6 of whom are still living.

The wife died Feb. 19, 1885. He then married Miss Susan Whited, of Ames, who still survives him.

Father Bates was one of the early settlers of Story county, having opened the farm on which he died in 1865.

In 1864 he came to this county with his father, driving cattle. On his return home he rode on the first passenger train going east out of Nevada.

Father Bates was a sober, hard working man, and by his economy and industry saved a nice home for his old age.

He was a man of strong convictions and strictly religous, always ready to lend a helping hand and no one was turned from his door hungry.

He leaves to mourn his departure a wife, one daughter of the first marriage, Mrs. J. B. Seals, and of the second marriage 3 sons 3 daughters, Mrs. Amilia Kaness, Mrs. Jane Shearer, Sylvester Bates, Theron Bates, Cyrena Bates, of Ames, Mrs. Minerva Brown, of Collins; two half-brothers, Nathan Bates, of Nevada, and Stephen Bates, of Oklahoma; 39 grand-children, 23 great grand children.

Six of the grans-sons, Clint, Arthur and Theron Bates, Willard and Floyd Shearer and Walter Brown, acted as pall bearers. All of the children, one half-brother and a number of the grand-children and great grand-children were present at the funeral, which was conducted by his former pastor, Rev. A. Pruitt, at the Evergreen church, in the presence of a large audience, after which his body was laid to rest in the Walnut Grove cemetery.