This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Bates, Moline, Chillstrom, TeGrotenhuis, Stone, Siegersma, Denzer, Rice Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/3FC.2ACI/3761 Message Board Post: Earl Gerard “Pete” Bates, 55 Friday, October 08, 2004 Earl Gerard “Pete” Bates, 55, of Hudson, formerly of Baldwin, died Sunday, Oct. 3, at the Baldwin Care Center. He was born May 28, 1949, in Baldwin, the son of Earl J. and Linda (Moline) Bates, and was raised there, attending Baldwin schools. In 1969, he enlisted in the U. S. Army and served in Vietnam in Southeast Asia, receiving the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Stars. He was discharged in Fort Lewis, Wash., in 1971. Upon his return from the Vietnam War, he was employed in the clothing industry as a sales clerk in the stores of Oscar Chillstrom and Wally TeGrotenhuis in Baldwin. He was a railroad buff and loved reading literature about the railroad and its history. He also enjoyed reading and following the career of one of his favorite movie stars, Elizabeth Taylor. Surviving are his father, Earl J. Bates of Hudson; two sisters, Theodora (James) Stone and Penelope (Bruce) Siegersma, both of Baldwin; two nephews, William BJ (Shelby) Denzer and Nicholas Siegersma; a niece, Janna Stone; and an uncle, Theodore G. (Violet) Moline of St. Peter, Minn. Preceding him in death was his mother, Linda Bates. The funeral service was at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 6, at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home in Baldwin with Pastor Steven Rice officiating. Visitation was one hour prior to the service. Burial was in the Baldwin Cemetery. © 2004 Hudson Star-Observer - Reposted by permission http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=11905&SectionID=3&SubSectionID=54&S=1