Leonard Bates

Leonard "Tom" Bates
May 01, 1924 - September 06, 2010
Sigourney, Iowa
Visitation: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. September 10, 2010 at Powell Funeral Home - Sigourney
Funeral Service: 10:00 a.m. September 11, 2010 at Powell Funeral Home - Sigourney
Interment: September 11, 2010 at Sixteen Cemetery - rural Thornburg, IA
SIGOURNEY-Leonard "Tom" Bates, age 86, of Sigourney, died Monday, September 6, 2010, at the Manor House Care Center in Sigourney. Tom was born May 1, 1924, in Gibson, Iowa, to Benjamin and Bessie (Lester) Bates and graduated from Deep River High School in 1942. On December 25, 1945, he married Helen West in Grinnell. The couple lived in Deep River, Wellman and Sigourney. Tom worked the parts counter at Gretter Motors in Keota for 23 years, retiring in 1991. He was a member of the Gibson Presbyterian Church, Wellman Baptist Church and Sigourney Lions Club. Survivors include two children: Janice (Russ) Parcell of Sigourney and Leonard Cecil (Jane) Bates of Tucson, Arizona; four grandchildren: Joe (Julia) Parcell, Sara (James) Holzmeier, Ryan Bates and Austin Bates; five great grandchildren; special friend: Dorothy Lane of Sigourney; three sisters: Agnes Hourihan of Chicago, Illinois, Verla Tish of Gibson and Charlene Bates of Montezuma and five brothers: Ronald of Montezuma, Donald of Thornburg, John of Deep River, Paul of What Cheer and Merle of Fort Worth, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife: Helen; three brothers: Eugene, Ned and Gerald and three sisters: Dorothy Bates, Marlene Bates and Margaret Tarvin. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 11, 2010, at Powell Funeral Home in Sigourney, with Rev. John Hembry officiating. Burial will be at Sixteen Cemetery in rural Thornburg. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 10, 2010, at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established for the Sigourney Lions Club or Hospice of Keokuk County. Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Sigourney is caring for Tom and his family. Condolences may be e-mailed at www.powellfuneralhomes.com under obituaries.