Obituaries

Virginia Anderson Bates

Photo of Virginia Anderson Bates
Virginia Anderson Bates, age 101, of Jasper, Arkansas passed away Sunday, December 21, 2014 at the Newton County Nursing Home in Jasper. She was born on April 27, 1913 in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee to Thomas Orlando Anderson and Wilhelmina Barnes Anderson and grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She graduated from Arkansas State Teachers College (now University of Central Arkansas in Conway). Virginia worked for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service as a Home Economist and served in DeWitt, Helena, Fort Smith, Greenwood and Jasper. She received the Distinguished Service Award in 1972 from the National Association of Extension Home Economists in Denver, Colorado and retired in 1982 after 30 years of service. Virginia was very active in the Jasper United Methodist Church and the Newton County Senior Center. She loved to dance and spent many a night dancing at the Moose Club in Boone County. In fact, that is where she met her husband Harold and they won many dance competitions and Senior Olympic Championships during their years together. They also loved to go to the shows in Branson. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husbands, Avery Moore Hutchins (Hutch) and Harold Francis Bates. She and Hutch moved to Jasper in 1967 when she was transferred from Fort Smith; he passed away in July 1969. She and Harold were married in Jasper in the United Methodist Church in February 1991. He passed away in October 2000. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Martin Anderson and Robert Anderson of League City, Texas and George Anderson of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; sisters, Miriam Grigsby of Conway, Arkansas and Helen Bailar of Denver, Colorado. She is survived by her sister, Mary Tom Middlebrooks and her husband, Charles of The Woodlands, Texas; step-children, Tom Bates and Mildred Bates and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends. A service was held at the Jasper United Methodist Church at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 with burial at the Jasper Cemetery. Dr. Larry Acton will officiate. Visitation was at the church one hour prior to service. Pallbearers were family and friends. In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to the Jasper United Methodist Church or the Newton County Senior Center.

Published December 24, 2014

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