Obituary of Joe Clabe Bates

Joe Clabe Bate, 90, was born December 3, 1924 to Otto and Nannie Bates in Gatesville, Texas. He passed away October 15, 2015 at his home in Licking, Missouri. He was preceded in death by his parents; three sons, Don, Larry and Ricky; two sisters, Bess and Wanda and their spouses. He is survived by his wife, Josephine; daughters, Joanne Akers and son-in-law, Tom, Debra Sullins and son-in-law, Robert; son, Danny Ramsrud and daughter-in-law, Mary and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. Joe served in WWII in the US Navy in the South Pacific during 1943 – 1946. He was proud to serve his country. He continued to read the history of the country he was so proud of throughout his life. He was always educating his family. He was fortunate to go to Washington D.C. and see the WWII memorial as an honor flight attendee. Joe worked as an operator engineer local 3 building tunnels for water systems and railroads. He was proud to have worked on the Metro System in Washington D.C. and on the Nevada Test Site. Joe’s work would take him to different parts of the country, including Brazil as he held different positions including explosive engineer. Joe instilled the love of travel in his children and enjoyed teaching them different cultures. He loved telling stories of his working days and could tell some good jokes. He always had a story to tell. Joe loved his family and was very proud of them. He especially enjoyed watching his grandchildren and great-grandchildren playing sports and attended ballgames on a regular basis. He will truly be missed and will hold a special place in our hearts.