Obituary of Wayne Lamar Bates

Wayne Lamar Bates, age 80 of Olla, Louisiana was born November 9, 1937 in Shreveport, Louisiana to the union of Effie Adeline Wood Bates and Louis James Bates of Castor, Louisiana. He passed from this life on Sunday, December 17, 2017 at Citizens Medical Center in Columbia, Louisiana.

Wayne was a 1955 graduate of Castor High School. He continued his education at Northwestern State University where he received a Bachelor of Art in Education. Because of his love to fix things he took correspondence courses in air conditioning, refrigeration, television, radio, and mechanics. He also took welding and speed reading at trade school. Wayne also served in the Louisiana National Guard for ten years.

Wayne taught school in Oakdale and Lake Charles. He served as a juvenile probation officer for four years. He had a forty-nine year career with State Farm, first as an automobile claims adjuster and later became an agent with an office in Jena, Louisiana.

Wayne was a deacon at First Baptist Church of Jena and then at Olla First Baptist, where he was a member until the time of his death. He also taught Sunday School for many years. He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Bradford Keith Bates.

Wayne is survived by his wife of sixty years, Patsy Ruth Bradford Bates; his sons: Patrick Bates (Cheryl) and Craig Sherrill (Jeffrey); daughter, Rona Barbo (Steve); sister, Anna Bennett; brothers: William Bates and Jerry Bates; and grandchildren: Morgan Barbo, Britton Barbo, Madison Bates, Nathan Bates and John Brady Sherrill.

Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 in the sanctuary of Olla First Baptist Church under the direction of Bro. Greg Dunn. Interment will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery in Whitehall, Louisiana under the direction of Riser Funeral Home. The family will receive visitors from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at the church.

Serving as pallbearers will be Steve Barbo, Morgan Barbo, Canaan Hudson, Keith West, Chad Champlin and Ralph Bennett. Honorary pallbearers will be Britton Barbo and Nathan Bates.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial donations be made to: Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary, 2095 Appling Rd., Cordova, TN 38016.