Age 85, Mountain Park - Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Monday in the First Baptist Church, Mountain Park, with Brother Kerry Glasgow, Pastor officiating. Mr. Bates went to his heavenly home on Thursday, September 30. Burial with military honors will be in the Mountain Park Cemetery under the direction of the Becker Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Snyder. He was born August 19, 1925 in Grayson County, Texas, to Pink Curtis and Annie Bell (Farmer) Bates. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of eighteen and while serving in the Army he and Syble exchanged letters. After leaving the Army he and Syble Verna Massie married on November 15, 1947. They lived in Seymour, Texas, where they farmed. They moved to Honey Grove, Texas and in 1962 moved to Mountain Park. He worked many different places before going to work for Kiowa County where he worked until he retired. He was a member of Mountain Park First Baptist Church where he attended faithfully until he suffered a stroke in January. He loved gardening, always raising a big garden so he could share with his family. He loved his family dearly and will be greatly missed by them. He is survived by six daughters and five sons in law, Treva and Jimmie Beason, Snyder, Laverne and Henry Dempsey, Mountain Park, Debora Bates, Mountain park, Carolyn and Jerry West, Lawton, Glenda and Greg Holtke, Marlow and Darla and Jeff McKinney, Manitou; two brothers, Curtis Bates, Snyder, and Jeff Bates, Frederick; 14 Grandchildren, 18 Great Grandchildren and many other family and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Syble in March of 2009, his parents and a sister, Audene, a grandson, Mason McKinney, and a great granddaughter, Karah Beason. The family will greet friends from 6-8 pm Sunday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Youth Ministry at the First Baptist Church of Mountain Park.