BATES, Benjamin Calvin (Cal)

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Sunday, December 24, 2006 Benjamin Calvin Bates, 83, went to be with the angels on Dec. 11, 2006. Born on Dec.25, 1922, in Lake Preston, S.D., Ben is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sarah Ann Bates; daughter Carol Bates; granddaughters Melissa and Jessica Clark of Prescott Valley; son Donald Bates, with his wife, Patti; grandsons Braun and Travis Bates, with their wives, and five great-grandchildren, all from Riverside County, Calif.; and Ben's brother, Jewett Bates, formerly of Prescott Valley. Ben served his country in the Navy Air Corps during WWII and worked as a printer from childhood in the family business to retirement from a major printing corporation in Los Angeles, Calif. Ben and Sarah moved from Anaheim, Calif., to Prescott Valley in 1979. Ben will be remembered as a loving and loyal husband as well as a dedicated and loving father. He loved nature and camping with his family. He had a knack for writing and documented much of his life, thoughts and feelings. His faith was unshakable. He enjoyed playing a good game of cards and having his family around him. He was a real gentlemen and a class act. He will be dearly missed by all who were privileged to know him. Information provided by survivors.