Oct. 5, 1936 – Sept. 20, 2005
Shirley B. (Keyser) Cates died Sept. 20.
She was born Oct. 5, 1936 in Watertown, S.D., to Emmett and Eldora Keyser.
She married Elmer M. “Al” Cates on June 27, 1953, in Clear Lake, S.D.
She graduated with honors from Southwest Oregon College in 1977 with a degree in nursing. She served as a registered nurse at Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay and retired from nursing at Willamette-McKenzie Hospital in Springfield after several years of nursing at The Dalles General Hospital.
Mrs. Cates was devoted to being a dedicated, loving mother to her four children and a grandmother to 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A passion of her life was serving with her husband, Al, as a teacher’s assistant and children’s counselor at Hawthorne school and Sweet Home High School.
She is survived by: her son, Ronald D. and Beverly Cates of Spokane, Wash.; daughters Pamela K. and Don Pierce of Forest Grove, Vicki R. and Edward Riffe of Olympia, Wash.; brothers Jim and JoAnn Keyser of Valley Springs, S.D., Ken and Gloria Keyser of Spokane, Wil and Peggy Keyser of White Salmon, Wash.; sister Eldora “Dee” Taylor; friend Pete Bang of Spokane Valley City, Wash.; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Elmer “Al” Cates; infant daughter Kathryn F. Cates; parents Emmett and Eldora Keyser; brothers Millard and Duaine Richmond, and sisters Loretta Darby and Donna Thompson.
A funeral services was held Monday, Sept. 19, at Sweet Home First Baptist Church.
Workman & Steckly Funeral Chapel handled the arrangements.
Memorials may be made in Mrs. Cates’ name to the National Arthritis Foundation or the American Cancer Society.