Jerry W Bates

Jerry W. Bates, age 90, of Peoria, AZ, formerly of the Quad-Cities, died Monday, February 18, 2013, at the Arizona State Veterans Home in Phoenix, AZ. Services will be held Thursday, February 28th, at 1:00 p.m., at Wendt Funeral Home in Moline, IL. Burial will be in National Cemetery on Arsenal Island, Rock Island, IL, with military honors accorded by American Legion Post #246. Memorials may be made to the Rock Island Arsenal Historical Society. Jerry W. Bates was born in Des Moines, IA, on October 7, 1922, to Raymond and Dorothea (Cammack) Bates. He was married to Jean Wentworth, who passed away in 1974. He then married Delores Leonhardi, who preceded him in death December 22, 2011. He served in the U. S. Navy during WWII and the Korean Conflict, starting his service as an enlisted man and finishing as a Lieutenant, receiving five battle stars. Jerry continued his service in the Navy Reserves. He attended Drake University, St. Ambrose College, Princeton, and University of Colorado, earning his Bachelors Degree in Business. Jerry was employed during his life, as Assistant Curator of the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, as a Procurement Agent for the Rock Island Arsenal, owner of a gun repair company and an insurance agent. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Gem & Mineral Club, the R.I. Arsenal Historical Society, and the Union Congregational Church. He enjoyed shooting and collecting firearms, Civil War reenactment, lapidary, silversmithing, history, reading, and woodworking. Survivors include, his son, Doug Bates, and daughter-in-law, Kim, of Peoria, AZ; a brother, Bob Bates of Arizona; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; two nieces; and four nephews. In addition to his wives and his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother: Sherley Ray Bates.

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