Bates was a member of Zion Baptist Church. She retired after 35 years of service in the sewing industry.
Bates was the daughter of the late John Henry Shields and Emma Louise Lawson Shields and was also preceded in death by her husband, Amos Alfred Bates; children: Sybil Bates Wilson, Wanda Sue Bates and Terry Bates; sister, Opal Amelda Shields Evans.
She is survived by her children: Leon ‘Bo’ (Pat) Bates of Benton, Doug (Darlene) Bates of Eminence, Ky., Aundrey Bates, (Joe) Lusk, Randy ‘Cotton’ Bates, Sandy (Terry) Burchfield, Tammy (Philip) Browder; grandchildren: Karen Wilson Jones, Greg (Jenny) Wilson, Neal (Cherry) Bates, Dan (Evie) Bates, Brad (Gina) Bates, Shane (Audrea) Bates, Kevin (Kelly) Lusk, Mark (Kellee) Burchfield, Jeremy Burchfield, Tera Burchfield, Jenny Browder and Josh Browder; great-grandchildren: Brittany Dills, Heather Dills (Justin) Duke, Talania Jones, Brandon Bates, Mary Ellen Bates, Katie Bates, O'Neal Bates, Annabelle Bates, Jacob Bates, Hollan Bates, Hailee Bates, Katie Paige Bates, Aleah Lusk, Issac Burchfield, Cheyenne Burchfield, Ciara Burchfield; great-great-grandchild, Aubrey Duke; son-in-law, Roy Gilbert Wilson; caregivers, Susan Trammell and Lynn Woodman.
Funeral services will be conducted at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, 2010 at Zion Baptist Church with the Rev. W.L. Shipman and Terry Burchfield officiating.
Interment will be held at 11 a. m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010 at Zion Baptist Church cemetery with a white dove release ceremony concluding the service.
Her family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. this evening at the church, prior to the service.
To send a message or view the Bates family guestbook, visit www.higginsfuneral.com
