Jay F. Bates
September 28, 2016 at 3:57 p.m.
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He was born April 27, 1933, in Plymouth, the son of Harry W. and Olive H. Ecker Bates. He married Sue Ann Haenes of Bremen, eloping on Valentine’s Day 1969 to Watseka, Ill.
He was a lifelong resident of Bourbon, graduating from Bourbon High School in 1951. He continued his education at Purdue University, studying agriculture from 1951-1952.
He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving from 1953-1955 as a shovel crane operator. He received his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., before transferring to Fountainbleu, France, just outside Paris, where he remained until his honorable discharge.
After returning home in 1955, he started a livestock hauling business that he operated until the mid 1970s, hauling livestock out of the Chicago Union Stockyards. Since 1960, he was an active farmer in the community, raising grain crops and, for a time, Holstein replacement heifers. In 1980, he turned the feed lot into a tractor salvage business known worldwide and specializing in new, used and rebuilt IH tractor parts. His daughters, along with their spouses, continue to own and operate Bates Corp. today as a third-generation business.
He was a member of Bourbon First United Methodist Church, Bourbon American Legion Post 424, Plymouth Masonic Kilwinning Lodge 149, Fort Wayne Scottish Rite and Fort Wayne Mizpah Shriners. He was a charter member of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association and Northern Indiana International Harvester Collector’s Club Chapter 33. He was a 10-year Marshall County 4-H member.
He enjoyed traveling extensively with his family and noted that one of his greatest joys was exploring 48 of the 50 states, all by car, during summer vacations before his girls turned 18. He also enjoyed telling the story of driving his shovel crane while in the Army around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris twice, just because he could.
Jay and Sue wintered in Haines City, Fla., for 28 years.
He is survived by his wife, Sue Ann; identical twin daughters, Patricia Ann (and spouse Brian) Kitch and Teresa Lynn (and spouse Kenneth) Barnhart; grandchildren, Trenton Samuel Barnhart, Brandon Jay Kitch, Travis Charles Barnhart and Brooke Ann Kitch; a sister, Barbara Ann (and spouse Donald) Faulkner; a brother, James Allen Bates, all of Bourbon; along with several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Bourbon First United Methodist Church, 204 N. Washington St., Bourbon, with Pastor Rob Seewald officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Bourbon, with graveside military services by the Bourbon American Legion.
The family will receive friends from 2:30 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the church, where a Masonic service will be conducted at 7 p.m.
Deaton-Clemens Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements.
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Memorials to the Marshall County Community Foundation (marshallcountycf.org) to support the family’s charity of choice.
Condolences may be left at deatonclemensfh.com.
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He was born April 27, 1933, in Plymouth, the son of Harry W. and Olive H. Ecker Bates. He married Sue Ann Haenes of Bremen, eloping on Valentine’s Day 1969 to Watseka, Ill.
He was a lifelong resident of Bourbon, graduating from Bourbon High School in 1951. He continued his education at Purdue University, studying agriculture from 1951-1952.
He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving from 1953-1955 as a shovel crane operator. He received his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., before transferring to Fountainbleu, France, just outside Paris, where he remained until his honorable discharge.
After returning home in 1955, he started a livestock hauling business that he operated until the mid 1970s, hauling livestock out of the Chicago Union Stockyards. Since 1960, he was an active farmer in the community, raising grain crops and, for a time, Holstein replacement heifers. In 1980, he turned the feed lot into a tractor salvage business known worldwide and specializing in new, used and rebuilt IH tractor parts. His daughters, along with their spouses, continue to own and operate Bates Corp. today as a third-generation business.
He was a member of Bourbon First United Methodist Church, Bourbon American Legion Post 424, Plymouth Masonic Kilwinning Lodge 149, Fort Wayne Scottish Rite and Fort Wayne Mizpah Shriners. He was a charter member of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association and Northern Indiana International Harvester Collector’s Club Chapter 33. He was a 10-year Marshall County 4-H member.
He enjoyed traveling extensively with his family and noted that one of his greatest joys was exploring 48 of the 50 states, all by car, during summer vacations before his girls turned 18. He also enjoyed telling the story of driving his shovel crane while in the Army around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris twice, just because he could.
Jay and Sue wintered in Haines City, Fla., for 28 years.
He is survived by his wife, Sue Ann; identical twin daughters, Patricia Ann (and spouse Brian) Kitch and Teresa Lynn (and spouse Kenneth) Barnhart; grandchildren, Trenton Samuel Barnhart, Brandon Jay Kitch, Travis Charles Barnhart and Brooke Ann Kitch; a sister, Barbara Ann (and spouse Donald) Faulkner; a brother, James Allen Bates, all of Bourbon; along with several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Bourbon First United Methodist Church, 204 N. Washington St., Bourbon, with Pastor Rob Seewald officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Bourbon, with graveside military services by the Bourbon American Legion.
The family will receive friends from 2:30 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the church, where a Masonic service will be conducted at 7 p.m.
Deaton-Clemens Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements.
*****
Memorials to the Marshall County Community Foundation (marshallcountycf.org) to support the family’s charity of choice.
Condolences may be left at deatonclemensfh.com.
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