Contributions to the tribute of Daniel Joe Bates

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Doug Bates posted a condolence

Monday, December 5, 2022

My condolences to Dan's family. I was sad to hear the news of his passing. As another of Dan's cousins, I have many fond memories of him when we were quite young. Dan and I were a year apart and I would often spend a few weeks with him during summers on Frank and Maxine's farm near Vulcan, Alberta. It was a special time for me and I felt like we were best pals. He taught me how to ride and we used to hang out in the various locations on the farm. The hay loft in the barn was a wonderful place to play. One summer in particular I remember staying for a week or two and Dan and I would herd cattle together like real cowboys. It was very exciting. He rode a horse named Star and I rode Punch the pony. We would gallop together and one time my saddle cinch broke and I ended up in the dirt (thankfully it was a soft landing in a freshly ploughed field). Dan was there to sooth my wounded cowboy pride. We did get into trouble occasionally like boys do. One time we decided to try our hand at branding "things." The bunkhouse had a potbelly stove that we fired up and we were having a great time branding the bunkhouse walls and door. Unfortunately my sister Stella caught us in our mischief and threatened to turn us in. What happened next was never clear to me. One of us managed to singe her new skirt with a hot branding iron and she fled the bunkhouse. We knew that we were in deep trouble. Not daring to hang around we ran down the road to a distant granary and hung out there for the rest of the day. We would have stayed there permanently except that after a couple hours we got hungry and had to return to the house. We knew it did not look good for us and we reaped what we had sown. But that was a brief moment of unpleasantness in a sea of happy times. Time, circumstances and distance separated us. Sadly I had not seen him since the summer of 1969. We spoke on the telephone several years ago when he lived in Medicine Hat and I in south western Ontario. He was the same gentle soul that I remembered him being. Farewell dear cousin.

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Stella Bates posted a condolence

Sunday, December 4, 2022

My deepest condolences to Dan’s family. As Dan’s cousin my family and I spent many happy times visiting the Frank & Maxine Bates family on their farm. Dan and I were only a year apart and we played together and he taught me a lot about farm life. I will always remember his beautiful eyes and his warm and gentle smile. I’m so grateful that after 40 or so years we were able to meet one more time in Regina at Sean’s retirement/birthday celebration. Catching up on forty years of living took most of the evening and I was so happy to learn of all his successes and to hear the pride in his voice when he spoke of his family. Farewell my sweet cousin.

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Sheldon Manville posted a condolence

Friday, December 2, 2022

My condolence to my uncle Dan's family and his siblings. I visited grandma Bates today and we both have now lost a child. My memory of my uncle Dan was on Canada Day either 1989 or 1990. I was driving down Mayor Magrath in Lethbridge with his daughter Lori and niece Erin. Traffic was heavy and both Lori and Erin were sitting in the front bucket seat of my black 1981 Dodge Colt. I happened to get distracted with the excitement of the day and ran into the bumper of a 300 ZX Nissan. Worried about my vehicle, I got out and looked at the damage not thinking about my cousins. A bystander told me that both girls in the front hit the windshield and then my attention was on them. They didn't need to go to the hospital but they were pretty banged up. Sometime that night, uncle Dan pulled me to the side and said to me, "If I ever catch you driving irresponsible with my daughter and niece again, you will be..." You can fill in the blanks but I was shaking in my boots and never will forget that memory. Love you uncle Dan and happy to have had this teaching moment! Sheldon Manville

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The family of Daniel Joe Bates uploaded a photo

Thursday, December 1, 2022

Daniel Joe Bates

1951 - 2022

Dependable. Committed. Compassionate.