Obituary of Mildred Bates

Mildred Fern (Miley) Bates was born on April 8, 1912, in Smithton, MO and died on May 19, 2006 in Montrose, CO. She was the oldest daughter and the second of seven children born to Alfred O. and Dollie Elma (Jewell) Miley. She is survived by her sisters, Elva Berridge of Limon, Jo Alma Cross of Pueblo, her brother, Jesse Miley of Florence, her children Ernest Alfred Bates of Burlington, Wanita Fern Lightsey of Montrose, and Mary Janette Ross of Grand Junction. Preceding Mildred in death were her brothers, Victor and Ross Miley, her sister, Lucille Brown, her children, Archie, Christine and Vernice Bates, and her husband, Paul Alfonso Bates. In 1919, following World War I, her family moved from Auburn, Iowa to Colorado, settling for a short time in the Thurman community. From there they moved to the Bovina area, where Mildred started school in the 3rd grade. In 1928, the family finally settled in Genoa. Alfred owned the local barbershop where Mildred marcel waved the ladies’ hair. She was married in 1931 to Paul A. Bates. Born to this union were Archie and Christine, who died in infancy; Ernest, Wanita, Vernice Elaine, and Mary. Vernice died in a farm accident in June of 1943. Paul and Mildred raised their family, farmed, and ran cattle and sheep on the Bates homestead 21 miles north of Genoa. They lived for a short time, due to the depression, in Denver, where Paul ran a gas station. Like so many pioneer women, Mildred worked long and hard, mostly at the work of a woman on a ranch. She did tell the story, however, of the time that the men were building the barn and had left the roof rafters unbraced as they went to town for supplies. A strong wind came up, so Mildred went out, roped the rafters with a lasso, and tied them down. She enjoyed raising a garden and canning for the family winter reserve. On Saturdays, she was the local barber, cutting the neighbors’ hair in the farmhouse kitchen. She enjoyed sewing as well, and was an active seamstress all her life, making or altering most of her children’s clothing when they were young. As time went on, she became an avid quilter with the Howard Methodist Church quilt group. In 1970, they moved from the homestead into Last Chance, where Paul passed on in 1972. From 1960 on, Paul and Mildred had also spent their winters in Truth or Consequences, NM, where Mildred moved full time in 1980, and where she was an active volunteer with the local hospital auxiliary. In 2003, Mildred moved back to Colorado to live with her daughters. She was also an avid painter most of her life, having received her first set of oil paints as a child from her father. Having few resources, she used the back of old wallpaper as her canvas. The family still owns one of those paintings. Her love of artwork really blossomed when she moved full time to Truth or Consequences, where she was able to take some art classes. She painted consistently until the later years of her life, (when she wasn’t watching her Broncos or Rockies on TV) sold many of her paintings, and often won awards for her work, of which she was very proud. What she was the most proud of, however, was her three children, her seven grandchildren, her fourteen great grandchildren, and her two great, great grandchildren. Services will be at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, the 23rd of May, at Howard Methodist Church in Last Chance. Mildred will be buried next to Paul at Glenn Cemetery, 25 miles NE of Genoa Rev. Jim Calhoon will officiate the services. Visitation will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Monday, May 22, 2006 at the Love Funeral home in Limon, Colorado. Memorials are suggested to the Howard United Methodist Church of Last Chance P.O. Box 223 Woodrow, CO 80757.