Charles R. Bates

Charles R. (Charley) Bates, age 85, of Mokane, passed away on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, at Fulton Manor. Charles was born on November 24, 1936, near Kilgore, Texas, to Mattie Lou and Herman C. Bates. Charley and Sarah met in 1978, and married in Streator, Illinois, June 8, 1979. Charley graduated from Sabine High School near Kilgore, Texas, in 1955. After high school he drove a truck for various firms and worked in the oil fields until being drafted into the Army. Upon his discharge from the military, he entered the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Apprenticeship and then over the years worked in many areas of the country until retiring from IBEW Local Union 257 in May 2000. After he retired, he spent many hours in his shop fixing and building whatever came into his head. His main project was building Charley's Cooker and then hauling it to numerous cookouts and get-togethers, mostly for Amvets and various IBEW groups. Besides barbequing meats, he would bake potatoes and baked beans in that cooker. His favorite meats to cook were brisket and pork butts. Along with the cooker, he enjoyed collecting cast iron cookware. He was a member of the Griswold and Cast Iron Collectors Association (G&CICA). Besides his wife, Sarah, he leaves daughter Amy Welker and stepdaughters Sheree Webb, Geda Wilcox, and Cathy Harris; sons, Robbie Bates and Dusty Bates; stepsons, John Mose and David Mose; brother, Bill Bates; numerous grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Besides his parents, Charley was preceded in death by brothers, H.C. Bates, Ben Bates, and John Bates. A memorial service with military honors will be held at noon on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at the Amvets Post 153 in Mokane, Missouri. The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made to an organization, a person in need, or to an animal rescue group or shelter.