William Erskine “Bill” Bates,Sr. – Obituary

by Lynn McMillen
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William Erskine “Bill” Bates,Sr., 84, died Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at NMMC in Tupelo after a brief illness. Bill was born on April 5, 1933 in Tupelo to the late William Austin and Minnie Bell Berryhill Bates. A lifelong Lee County resident and patriotic American, Sergeant First Class Bill Bates served in the U. S. Army during the Korean Conflict, receiving the Korean Service Medal with 2 bronze stars. He was honorably discharged to the Miss. Army National Guard and Reserves where he served several more years retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant. Bill was a chemical salesman for International Minerals and Chemicals in Tupelo for over 4 decades where he held forth to his many customers with knowledge and integrity. He enjoyed the outdoors. He was an avid fisherman, hunter and conversationalist. His family knew him as the “chair of knowledge”. He was a member of First Baptist Church Tupelo. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 59 years, Elizabeth Ann Evans Bates on April 7, 2015 and his daughter, Jennifer Bates Odom on April 17, 2017 and several siblings.

A service celebrating his life, with military honors, will be held on Friday, November 17, 2017 at the Tupelo Chapel of Holland Funeral Directors, with his son in law, Robert Seay officiating. Visitation will begin at 10:30 with the service immediately following at 12:00.

Survivors include his children, Julie Seay (Robert) Collierville, TN, Lisa Broussard (John) of Atlanta, GA, Greg Bates of Oxford, Steve Bates (Shelley) and Bill Bates (Cindy) both of Saltillo, 11 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, a sister, Tarley Graham of Tupelo and a host of nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to Veteran’s Memorial Park, P. O. Box 3608, Tupelo, MS. 38803.

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