Bates, Bert Wayne July 8, 1930 - August 1, 2013

Bert Wayne Bates, 83, of Walker, Mo., passed away on August 1, 2013. Wayne was born July 8, 1930, in Licking, Mo. to Stella Marie (Brown) and Bert Lloyd Bates; he was the third child of four children. Wayne grew up in Houston, Missouri but lived in Oakland, California for a few years when his mother, sister, and brother moved there to work during the war. Wayne returned to Houston to graduate from High School. Wayne met his lovely wife Willa Dean (Davison) in Buffalo, Mo. They married on February 3, 1952 and were married for 61 years. She was his partner in love, life, and business. They had two daughters Beverly Bates of St. Louis, MO and Connie McMullin of Derby, KS. Wayne operated the Shoe Repair Concession on Fort Leonard Wood for over 20 years, owned and operated two shoe stores in Waynesville for 27 years and owned and operated Bates Self Service Storage for many years before moving to Walker in July 1992. Wayne was preceded in death by his father when he was two, his mother, two brothers, a sister and a nephew. He is survived by his wife, Willa Dean; daughters, Beverly and Connie; three grandchildren, Joshua and Erica McMullin, Sarah and Joshua Dowell and Zachary McMullin; ten great grandchildren, Alexis, Elijah, Katie, and Ashley McMullin, Macy, Lily, Colton and Chloe Dowell, Dominic and Emily McMullin; one niece, Judy Bates; five nephews, Gary and Delores Bates, Paul and Rita Bates, Joe and Bobbie Adams, Danny and Carolyn Adams and David Adams. Many called him friend.