Obituaries

Fay E. BatesFormer Colfax councilman and Placer County undersheriff Fay E. Bates died on Nov. 22, 2001. He was 86 years old.Mr. Bates was a deputy sheriff before being named undersheriff in 1952. He retired in 1977.For many years, Mr. Bates was active in Colfax and county affairs.In Colfax, he was a former councilman, volunteer fireman, president of the Colfax Area Lions Club, Explorer Scout leader, and member of the Colfax Area Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the county Retired Deputy Sheriff?s Communication Reserve and was an honorary member of the county?s Search and Rescue Team.Mr. Bates also was a past member of the Auburn Eagles Lodge and the Grass Valley Rifle, Rod and Gun Club.He was a 50-year member of Illinoistown Lodge #51 of the Free and Accepted Masons, was a past high priest of the Colfax chapter of the Royal Arch Masons and served on the Masonic Grand Lodge Youth Committee for the state of California.He spent 38 years as a member of the Bethany Chapter Order of the Eastern Star Colfax, serving as an Associate Bethel Guardian of Bethel No. 316 Colfax and an Associate Grand Guardian of the state International Order of Job?s Daughter.Mr. Bates graduated from Grass Valley High School in 1935. He purchased the Meat Market after getting married in 1937 and kept the market until 1952.Survivors include daughter and spouse Evelyn and Art Novak of Elk Grove; son and spouse Frank and Lisa Bates of Redding; son George Bates of Kelseyville; brother and spouse Alvin and Lillian Smith of Grass Valley; and grandchildren Davis, Melanie and Taylor Bates and Kristine and Matthew Novak.A masonic memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 in Chapel of the Angels Mortuary, 250 Race St., in Grass Valley.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Shriner?s Hospital in Sacramento.Leon Robert WyattLeon Robert Wyatt died Nov. 26, 2001, in Loomis. He was 72 years old.A native of Sentinel, Okla., he was a member of the Natoma Lodge #64 F&AM in Folsom.Mr. Wyatt is survived by his wife of 54 years, Minnie Wyatt; sons Ronald, Donald, Johnnie and Douglas Wyatt; brothers Neil Wyatt and Albert Wyatt and sister Dorothea Nell Gaskin; six grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.Friends are invited to attend funeral services to be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30 in Sierra Baptist Church, 2215 Auburn-Folsom Road, in Newcastle.Interment will be at the Newcastle Cemetery. Miller Funeral Home in Folsom is handling arrangements. Robert SlaytonRobert Evan Slayton died Nov. 26, 2001 at a Grass Valley hospital at the age of 79. He was born in Anaheim on July 24, 1922. He served in the South Pacific during World War II with the U.S. Navy and worked in the Sacramento and Grass Valley area as a general contractor for 49 years. Among his projects were the rest stops along Interstate 80 at Donner Summit. He loved mountain climbing, fishing and hunting. The Grass Valley resident is survived by his wife, Glenna; two sons, Daniel Slayton and his wife, Candace of Nevada City and Michael Slayton and his wife, Lorita of Colorado; daughter, Valerie Benner and her husband, Allen of Grass Valley; sister, Clarice Hill of Foresthill; brothers, Donald Slayton of Sacramento and James Slayton of Yountville; former wife, Patricia Slayton; seven grandchildren; stepchildren, Cecil Nelson, Jr. and his wife, Bonita of Valencia, Cecille Harris and her husband, Benjamin of Antioch, William Nelson and his wife, Betty of Concord and Christine Perucci of Gold Beach, Ore.; 14 step grandchildren and seven step great-grandchildren. His brothers, Leland, Ivan and Paul Slayton preceded him in death. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 30 at Lassila Funeral Chapel in Auburn.Interment will be at the New Auburn District Cemetery.Jack L. CollierJack L. Collier died Nov. 26, 2001 at the age of 73. Collier, an Iowa native, was a Penryn resident for 28 years. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Phyllis Collier of Penryn; four children, Pam North of Loomis, Jackie Kjome of Rocklin, Bill Collier of Cameron Park and Mary Maples of Rancho Cordova; sister Jean Williams of Massachusetts; and six grandchildren. Friends are welcome to attend memorial services at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 in the Newcastle United Methodist Church, 410 Buena Vista Ave., in Newcastle. Interment will be private. Elk Grove Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements. Leota MullenixAuburn resident Leota Grace Mullenix died Nov. 24, 2001 at the age of 78. She was born June 16, 1923 in Kansas and lived in Auburn for 31 years. She was an accountant and bookkeeper for the Bell Road Baptist Church for 25 years as well as for several other independent businesses in the area. She was very active in the Bell Road Baptist Church and enjoyed working on many projects and functions that dealt with helping people anywhere. Survivors include her husband of 11 years, Claude Mullenix of Auburn; sister Hazel Gibbons of Boise, Idaho; sister and spouse Marie and Bob Forsman of Fruitland, Idaho; three sons, Tony Neff of Pocatello, Idaho; Don and spouse Katty Neff of Pocatello; and Jimmy and spouse Roni Mullenix of Foresthill; two daughters, Sandy Whittle of Nampha, Idaho and Claudette Watron of Newcastle; 17 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Viewing will be from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 at Chapel of the Hills in Auburn. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 3 at the Bell Road Baptist Church in Auburn. Fellowship and a celebration of her life will follow after the services. Chapel of the Hills in Auburn is handling the arrangements. Mary MeadMary E. Mead died Nov. 27, 2001, in Colfax. She was 91.Mrs. Mead was born Feb. 4, 1910, in Oklahoma.A 37-year Colfax resident, Mrs. Mead formerly lived in Willows. She graduated from Willows High School in 1928. A homemaker, she also worked as a grocery clerk for 12 years.Mrs. Mead is survived by a son, Jack of Corning; daughters Mary Wilson of Granite Bay and Marcia Milford of Carmichael; a sister, Martha Sehorn of Auburn; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.Mrs. Mead was predeceased by her husband, Charles Mead in 1990.A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 in Willows Cemetery.Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association and left with the F.D. Sweet and Sons mortuary in Willows, which is handling arrangements. Lillian WrightLillian Gladys Wright died Nov. 8, 2001 at a local hospital. She was 86.Born Dec. 4, 1914, in Hydro, Mont., Mrs. Wright was preceded in death by her husband, Delbert.Mrs. Wright is survived by her daughter, Doreen Holmes of Canada; sons David and Delbert; brothers Ferd, Marvin and William Dalke Jr.; sisters Waunita Voss and Irma Tidball; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.A service will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 7 in the New Auburn District Cemetery.