Mary P. Bates

Mary Jennie Parnell Bates, 65, of Chester, passed away Thursday, July 17, 2008. Born in Washington, D.C., she was the daughter of the late Edward Wesley and Florence Gay Parnell. She was a teacher of Marketing and Distributive Education for 16 years in the Dinwiddie County School System. During that time, she served as state secretary of the Virginia Association of Distributive Education Teachers. Mary Jennie was currently serving as President of the Burlington Garden Club in Petersburg. She was a member of the Petersburg Festival Chorus and Chester Presbyterian Church, where she was a member of the chancel choir. Prior to moving to Chester, she lived in and cared for Burlington, an historic Virginia Home built in 1730. She is survived by her husband, Robert W. Bates; sons, Roger W. Bates and wife, Karen of Kenosha, WI and Parnell Coleman Yeatts of Dinwiddie; daughter, Alene Gay Bates of Chester; granddaughter, Laura Elizabeth Bates; great-grandson, Christopher; siblings, Sarah Parnell Crewey and husband, Ed of Hopewell, Fran Parnell Barber and husband, David of Jacksonville, FL, Edward W. Parnell, Jr. and wife, Cheryl of Hamlett, NC, and Shirley Parnell Jones of Midlothian; brother-in-law, Donald Brooks Bates and wife, Jean of Grand Rapids, MI and Sarasota, FL; numerous nieces and nephews; and a host of friends. A memorial service will be conducted at 3:00 PM Sunday, July 20, at Chester Presbyterian Church with The Rev. Lawrence Chapin officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Petersburg Festival Chorus, P. O. Box 248, Petersburg, VA 23804. Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com