Margaret Jane Bates

Margaret Jane Bates was called to her Heavenly Home on Tuesday, March 27, 2024. She was born in Roanoke, Virginia on December 29, 1925 to Robert William and Bonnie Maude Stewart Carr. She spent her childhood in both Shawsville, Virginia, and Wyandotte, Michigan.
Margaret graduated from Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, Michigan, and when WWII was over, she married her high school sweetheart, Ralph Neil Bates. The two remained married for 47 years until the death of Ralph in 1993. She was a dedicated wife and mother to their three children Cathy, Loren, and Nancy. She was very active in their education and extracurricular activities.
The Bates family called many cities their home due to Ralph’s career with Union Carbide, and Margaret had many friends wherever she went. One of Margaret’s favorite places to live was Marietta, Ohio, where she belonged to several bridge clubs and garden clubs. She loved to entertain in her home and was a very talented seamstress. In addition, Margaret was a member of Eastern Star and the Junior League. Ralph and Margaret retired to Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia in 1980 where their children and grandchildren visited frequently. A few years after Ralph passed away, Margaret moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, and spent her remaining years there. She was a member of the First Methodist Church of Shreveport.
Margaret was preceded in death by her loving husband Ralph, her son Loren, her parents, her sister Lucille, and her brother Robert Carr, Jr. She leaves behind two daughters Cathy Ann Bates Kyle (Paul) of Shreveport, Louisiana, and Nancy Jane Bates Sutton (Rob) of Katy, Texas, and grandchildren Julie Kyle Murphy (Brian), Wes Kyle (Nicole), Stephen West (Nikki), Christopher West (Lauren), Meghan West, Jenny West Taylor (Craig), and 6 great-grandchildren.
A small service will be held at Sherwood Cemetery in Salem, Virginia on April 2, 2024, at 10:30 am. Margaret’s daughters would like to thank all who helped her at Garden Park for the past 3 years.