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| December 5, 2018 12:00 AM

Gladys Bates, 92

Gladys Bates, of Post Falls, Idaho, passed away Nov. 12, 2018, in Coeur d’Alene, ldaho. She was born in Coeur d’Alene on Oct. 7, 1926. She was the third of three daughters born to Norwegian immigrants, Sam and Maren Dahlum Gilbertson. Sam immigrated through Ellis Island, New York, when he was 18 years old. He ended up working in the Rutledge Mill that is now Hagadone Golf Course. At his retirement, Sam was superintendent at that site. Gladys was raised with her two older sisters, Eileen Evenden and Mary Halliday, at their home on 15th and Front Street in Coeur d’Alene near the mill.

Gladys graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1944 and attended college in Missoula, Mont., and Kinman Business School in Spokane, Wash. She worked as a legal secretary in Coeur d’Alene for several years.

On the day after Christmas in 1949, she married Kyle Bates. He worked for Pack River Lumber Co. as a farm ground manager, and in 1954 he moved his family to the company’s Beaver Lake Stock Ranch at Kelso Lake, north of Athol, Idaho. There he managed 10,000 acres of timber, cattle and farming operations. The welcome sign was always out and the coffee pot always on at the farm house. They spent 30 years there raising their three boys, Gary, Randy and Bob, in the big red farmhouse at the west end of the lake.

Gladys was an active member of the Granite, Careywood and Clagstone communities; be it pinochle parties, golf or garden clubs. She served as an election clerk at the old Granite school house. Her kitchen table was always full of good home-cooked meals that fed droves of hungry farm hands, cattle-branding crews and hunters. Up until the end of her life she was always thinking of ways she could help others.

In 1983 Kyle and Gladys built their retirement home in the Royal Highlands area of Post Falls, where she resided independently until just a few weeks ago. She was a strong, independent, caring and loving woman to all who knew her.

She was proud of her Norwegian heritage and visited Norway several times over the years to visit relatives and friends. Norwegian traditions were staunchly enforced and celebrated and passed on to generations that follow. She was looking forward to the holiday season of making Lefsa, eating lutefisk and the traditional baked goods, and having Christmas Eve dinner with her large extended family. Now she is in heaven celebrating with loved ones there.

Gladys was preceded in death by Kyle, her husband of 57 years; son, Robert Samuel; her two sisters; nephew, Bruce Halliday and many lifelong friends.

She is survived by sons, Gary (Patti) and Randy (Susan) of Post Falls; four granddaughters: Natalie, with great-grandchildren, Gracie Jo, Maggie Jane and Dylan Jake Gary; Melisa (Matt) with greats, Caleb Elliot, Carmen Emelia and Charity Hope; Miranda, with greats, Eli Raine and Lilja Antonia and granddaughter number four, Kelsi Maren Bates; nephews Ronald (Donna), Richard (Myrl) and Douglas (Melodie) Halliday and James and Michael Evenden.

A memorial service and celebration of the extraordinary life of Gladys Gilbertson Bates will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, at English Funeral Chapel, 1133 N. Fourth St. in Coeur d’Alene.