Sherry Elaine Bates, 55, died Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004.
Memorial Service: 3 p.m. Monday at Polytechnic United Methodist Church, 1310 Collard St., Fort Worth.
Burial: private at Shannon Rose Hill Memorial Park.
Survivors: Son, William Blaine Bates and wife, Monica; daughters, Andrea Rackel and husband, Jay, and Melissa Dawn Bates.
Preceded in death by Father Blaine H. Powell and Gwendolyn E. Morris and brother William B. Powell.
Published by Star-Telegram on Dec. 19, 2004. plus corrections.
You would have been 75 years old today. This year will mark 20 years since your passing.
Thus it is only fair that I gift you with a memorial that is beyond some citation or foot note.
Sherryn Elaine Powell was born February 18th, 1949. She was the third and last child of four children to Blaine Herbert Powell (72975789) and Gwendolyn Eloise Cunningham Powell Morris (144848903) in Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia.
Barely into the first year of her life, 1950. Her 3 year old brother, William Blaine Powell (202370957), was tragically killed by a truck, outside of her grandparents, William Edward Cunningham (66715481) and Gladys Vivian Fulmer Cunningham (66715445), Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania home. The pain of losing another child must have been too much for her parents to bear and they ended up separating and later divorcing. Blaine received sole custody of Sherry.
Sherry grew up the quintessential "coal miner's daughter". She related on so many levels to the Loretta Lynn's song of the same name. Blaine struggled to care and provide for her. But a workplace accident would remove him from the coal minding industry. Blaine took a job at the Nabisco plant in upstate New York. This would lead to a family move to New York. Sherry entered high school as a freshman as a student at Castleton on Hudson High School. But another change in her father's occupation would put the family on the move again. This time to Fort Worth, TX.
Blaine would find love again in Texas and in 1965 he would marry Emma Elizabeth Keller Holt Powell Meals (79113235). Sherry would have a step mother, an older step sister and an younger step brother. Sherry would attend and graduate from Trimble Technical High School class of 1967.
It was here at Trimble Tech that she would meet the man that she would later marry, Frank Henry Perry Bates. Riding on the school bus there was a tunnel that the bus would pass through to get to the school. Frank and some of the other boys would scream as they passed through. One time Sherry attempted to stop him by putting her hand over his mouth. Frank's response was to lick her hand.
Sherry and Frank would wed at 20 years of age in 1969. Some two years, 1972, their son William Blaine Bates was born. Four years later their second child, Angela Michele Bates (46360016) was still born, due to complications with the pregnancy. Two years later, 1978, Andrea Renee Bates was born and two more years after that, 1980, Melissa Dawn Bates was born.
In her years, Sherry would hold many jobs in her life to help with supporting the family. Early in her career she worked in Accounts Payable at All Saints Hospital, Fort Worth. It was here where she met one of her lifelong friends and later the God mother to her son, Patricia Elaine Lindsey. Later she worked as a check processor a the Bank One Tower in downtown Fort Worth. It was her that she established the other one of her life long friendships with Barbara Ortiz. Sundays she could be found in the nursery providing care for the children at Meadowbrook Christ United Methodist Church, Fort Worth. This later became an opportunity that she began providing in home child care as a way of earning income. In 1986, the family would relocate to Kerrville, Texas where she would serve as the receptionist to La Hacienda Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center. This was rather short lived as the family moved back to Fort Worth in 1987. Where for several years she was a stay at home mom caring for the family. During this time she would reconnect with her birth mom, Gwen, who had remarried to Joseph Cletus Morris (30506202).
In 1990, Frank would leave and divorce the family. William would ship off for the Marine Corps. Leaving Sherry and the girls to fend for themselves against the world. There were many struggles during this time. But Sherry kept her spirits high and faith to keep the family together and moving forward. She would take up many odd jobs to have money coming in. She was the proof reader of Bud Hibbs' (248145612) books "Stop It" and "The American Credit System: Guilty Until Proven Innocent".
In 1992 tragedy and joy occurred. Gwen was diagnosed with lung cancer and the condition was terminal. Sherry would spend much of her days in Gwen's hospital room attempting to give comfort in her final days. It was here during a death bed confession that Gwen imparted upon her that her aunt Vivian Leigh Cunningham (222751582) was her half sister. Gwen didn't disclose who the father may have been. But stated she had just turned 18 when she was discovered to be pregnant. At that time it was unacceptable to be an unwed mother. So she was sent away to have the child and her parents took and raised the child as if it were their own. A few days had passed after that disclosure, Gwen was gone.
Sherry returned to school at Tarrant County Junior College. She studied and got her associates degree.
Many joyful things happened for Sherry in 1994 to 1996. Her son married Monica. She bought a home. Her first grandchild Angelica-Jasmine was born. Her daughter, Andrea graduated high school.
But once again her life was marred by turmoil. Sherry was diagnosed with a disease that would ultimately lead to her demise. A disease she contracted through a blood transfusion many years prior.
Sadly December 15,2004, Sherry Bates succumbed to her disease in hospice care at the age of 55. At the time of her passing she was survived by her son William, his wife Monica, granddaughters Angelica-Jasmine and Arianna Justina of Plano, TX, daughter Andrea and husband Jay Rackel and grandchildren Christian Robinson and Jenna Rackel of Fort Worth, TX and youngest daughter Melissa of Fort Worth, TX, half sisters Vivian Cunningham of Mount Pleasant, PA and Heather Powell Salter Wilson of Los Angeles, CA. Step sister Carol Elizabeth Holt Cox Houston husband Nelson and Step Brother Dallas Elmer Holt Jr. wife Beverly. Sherry is preceded in death by her daugher Angela, her brother William, mother Gwendolyn and father Blaine.
Even in the face of adversity Sherry held strong and was a beacon for the family. May her 20 years thus far in Heaven been much easier upon her than it ever was in this plane.
Sherry Elaine Bates, 55, died Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004.
Memorial Service: 3 p.m. Monday at Polytechnic United Methodist Church, 1310 Collard St., Fort Worth.
Burial: private at Shannon Rose Hill Memorial Park.
Survivors: Son, William Blaine Bates and wife, Monica; daughters, Andrea Rackel and husband, Jay, and Melissa Dawn Bates.
Preceded in death by Father Blaine H. Powell and Gwendolyn E. Morris and brother William B. Powell.
Published by Star-Telegram on Dec. 19, 2004. plus corrections.
You would have been 75 years old today. This year will mark 20 years since your passing.
Thus it is only fair that I gift you with a memorial that is beyond some citation or foot note.
Sherryn Elaine Powell was born February 18th, 1949. She was the third and last child of four children to Blaine Herbert Powell (72975789) and Gwendolyn Eloise Cunningham Powell Morris (144848903) in Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia.
Barely into the first year of her life, 1950. Her 3 year old brother, William Blaine Powell (202370957), was tragically killed by a truck, outside of her grandparents, William Edward Cunningham (66715481) and Gladys Vivian Fulmer Cunningham (66715445), Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania home. The pain of losing another child must have been too much for her parents to bear and they ended up separating and later divorcing. Blaine received sole custody of Sherry.
Sherry grew up the quintessential "coal miner's daughter". She related on so many levels to the Loretta Lynn's song of the same name. Blaine struggled to care and provide for her. But a workplace accident would remove him from the coal minding industry. Blaine took a job at the Nabisco plant in upstate New York. This would lead to a family move to New York. Sherry entered high school as a freshman as a student at Castleton on Hudson High School. But another change in her father's occupation would put the family on the move again. This time to Fort Worth, TX.
Blaine would find love again in Texas and in 1965 he would marry Emma Elizabeth Keller Holt Powell Meals (79113235). Sherry would have a step mother, an older step sister and an younger step brother. Sherry would attend and graduate from Trimble Technical High School class of 1967.
It was here at Trimble Tech that she would meet the man that she would later marry, Frank Henry Perry Bates. Riding on the school bus there was a tunnel that the bus would pass through to get to the school. Frank and some of the other boys would scream as they passed through. One time Sherry attempted to stop him by putting her hand over his mouth. Frank's response was to lick her hand.
Sherry and Frank would wed at 20 years of age in 1969. Some two years, 1972, their son William Blaine Bates was born. Four years later their second child, Angela Michele Bates (46360016) was still born, due to complications with the pregnancy. Two years later, 1978, Andrea Renee Bates was born and two more years after that, 1980, Melissa Dawn Bates was born.
In her years, Sherry would hold many jobs in her life to help with supporting the family. Early in her career she worked in Accounts Payable at All Saints Hospital, Fort Worth. It was here where she met one of her lifelong friends and later the God mother to her son, Patricia Elaine Lindsey. Later she worked as a check processor a the Bank One Tower in downtown Fort Worth. It was her that she established the other one of her life long friendships with Barbara Ortiz. Sundays she could be found in the nursery providing care for the children at Meadowbrook Christ United Methodist Church, Fort Worth. This later became an opportunity that she began providing in home child care as a way of earning income. In 1986, the family would relocate to Kerrville, Texas where she would serve as the receptionist to La Hacienda Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center. This was rather short lived as the family moved back to Fort Worth in 1987. Where for several years she was a stay at home mom caring for the family. During this time she would reconnect with her birth mom, Gwen, who had remarried to Joseph Cletus Morris (30506202).
In 1990, Frank would leave and divorce the family. William would ship off for the Marine Corps. Leaving Sherry and the girls to fend for themselves against the world. There were many struggles during this time. But Sherry kept her spirits high and faith to keep the family together and moving forward. She would take up many odd jobs to have money coming in. She was the proof reader of Bud Hibbs' (248145612) books "Stop It" and "The American Credit System: Guilty Until Proven Innocent".
In 1992 tragedy and joy occurred. Gwen was diagnosed with lung cancer and the condition was terminal. Sherry would spend much of her days in Gwen's hospital room attempting to give comfort in her final days. It was here during a death bed confession that Gwen imparted upon her that her aunt Vivian Leigh Cunningham (222751582) was her half sister. Gwen didn't disclose who the father may have been. But stated she had just turned 18 when she was discovered to be pregnant. At that time it was unacceptable to be an unwed mother. So she was sent away to have the child and her parents took and raised the child as if it were their own. A few days had passed after that disclosure, Gwen was gone.
Sherry returned to school at Tarrant County Junior College. She studied and got her associates degree.
Many joyful things happened for Sherry in 1994 to 1996. Her son married Monica. She bought a home. Her first grandchild Angelica-Jasmine was born. Her daughter, Andrea graduated high school.
But once again her life was marred by turmoil. Sherry was diagnosed with a disease that would ultimately lead to her demise. A disease she contracted through a blood transfusion many years prior.
Sadly December 15,2004, Sherry Bates succumbed to her disease in hospice care at the age of 55. At the time of her passing she was survived by her son William, his wife Monica, granddaughters Angelica-Jasmine and Arianna Justina of Plano, TX, daughter Andrea and husband Jay Rackel and grandchildren Christian Robinson and Jenna Rackel of Fort Worth, TX and youngest daughter Melissa of Fort Worth, TX, half sisters Vivian Cunningham of Mount Pleasant, PA and Heather Powell Salter Wilson of Los Angeles, CA. Step sister Carol Elizabeth Holt Cox Houston husband Nelson and Step Brother Dallas Elmer Holt Jr. wife Beverly. Sherry is preceded in death by her daugher Angela, her brother William, mother Gwendolyn and father Blaine.
Even in the face of adversity Sherry held strong and was a beacon for the family. May her 20 years thus far in Heaven been much easier upon her than it ever was in this plane.
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