LAVERNE BATES
ADA-Services for LaVerne Ruth Bates, 84, of Ada, are 10:00 a.m. Saturday at the Oak Avenue Baptist Church, Rev. Ray Talbott will officiate. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday at Criswell Funeral Home.
Mrs. Bates died Sunday, July 14, 2013 in a Dallas, TX hospital. She was born in Ada, Oklahoma on June 13, 1929 to Augustus G. Gaar, Sr. and Gladys Faye Griffith Gaar. She graduated from Horace Mann High School and attended East Central University, the University of Oklahoma in Norman, and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
She married Charles Thomas Bates, Jr. on June 20, 1948. He preceded her in death on September 20, 2006. Mrs. Bates was a homemaker and a longtime member of Oak Avenue Baptist Church. She was also a member of College Heights Baptist Church in Manhattan, Kansas, where she resided for 28 years. Mrs. Bates was an active member of the P.E. O. Sisterhood for over 60 years, and a Charter member of the G. U. Chapter of Manhattan, Kansas. She was a former president of the Christian Women's Club at Kansas State University.
Survivors include two sons, Dennis C. Bates of Amesbury, MA, and Byron T. Bates of Southlake, TX; one grandchild, Brandon C. Bates of Southlake, TX; one brother, Augustus G. Gaar, Jr. of Stratford; three nephews, Ashley Gaar, Stratford, Kenneth Gaar, Texas, and Keith Gaar, Texas; two nieces, Dr. Kathy Gaar, Florida and Dr. Karla Gaar, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Charles T. Bates, Jr.; one brother, Dr. Basil Gaar, Houston, TX; and one sister, Iris Faye Gaar, Ada.
Bearers will be David Eidson, Hob Robinson, Billy Young, Chris Geisler, Mike Tuley and Ruy Da Costa Lima.
Obituaries may be viewed and online condolences sent to criswellfh.com.

Criswell Funeral Home, Ada