Earl Gates

Earl Wendell Gates Senior, passed away peacefully on January 30, 2024, at the age of 95. He wrote this about himself in 2023.
I was born in Aurora, Sevier, Utah, in the home of my grandmother, Alfaretta Huntsman, on June 14, 1928, Flag Day. Then my family moved to Salina, Utah, in the home of my grandfather, John Liversidge Gates. My mother was Zelma May Huntsman. My father, Wendell Maize Gates, was kicked by a horse and he got rheumatic fever, which ruined his heart. He died at the age of 38 and I was 14 years old. Shortly after, I went to work at the meat market to help support my mother and my brother, Jack. I did this for two years while I was still going to high school. I attended North Sevier High School. I played the saxophone, oboe, and bassoon in the band, and I also played with a group of musicians at concerts up at Redmond. Upon graduating from high school, I moved to Bingham Canyon, Utah. I got a job working in the open pit mine. Shortly after working there they had me running the electric shovels, loading waste and ore into the train cars. My friend from Salina, Dean Nelson, came up and asked me to go to Weber State College with him. I took a leave of absence and went for a couple of semesters. Then I decided that I needed to go back to the mine to make money.
On February 8, 1950, I married Lucile Beckstead, my sweetheart. I bought a home in Midvale, and we were called to be Sunday School teachers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Six months later, Bishop Butterfield called me in and asked me to go on a mission. Lucile was all for it. After talking to the bishop we went outside, and Lucile told me she was pregnant. I told the bishop that I couldn’t go, but Lucile said, “No you’re going to go!” I was called to the Texas/Louisiana mission and served two years there and came home and saw my daughter, Lois, for the first time. She was 17 months old. We moved to Salt Lake City, where we had a family of 8 children. I was ward clerk for the Douglas Ward, which was in the Bonneville Stake, for 20 years. Our Prophet today, Russell M. Nelson, was Stake President at that time. I served under many bishops, a few were Kenneth Dyer, Reed Reeves, and John Gaines. I served at the Salt Lake Temple as a security guard. When we first moved to Salt Lake I worked for the Bonneville News Company. Two years later, I obtained a job with the Kennecott Research Center on the University of Utah campus. My job was to build the research projects that were designed by the doctors who worked there. Most of them were projects that helped get the copper out of the ore. After working there for 29 years, I was laid off at 54 years old. I started working for the Jordan School District, in maintenance, and I retired at age 65. In 1975 we moved from Salt Lake to West Jordan, because Lucile wanted to take care of her mother. We bought Marcel’s home (Lucile’s brother), which was next-door to our mother and father, Glen and Leona Beckstead. I was a temple worker at the Jordan River Temple when it opened. Having a small farm with animals and a tractor was a delight for me. I started going to the senior center which has blessed my life with activities and many friends. I called Bingo there. For 14 years I did this and also got bread and goodies to use as prizes. I was President of the Advisory Counsel for 7 years, Treasurer for 5 years, & 2 years over Bingo. Painting was an activity that I learned and enjoyed. I got an invitation from Olene Walker, Governor of Utah, to the State Capital and was awarded, “Volunteer of the Year” in Utah. In my later life, I was called on three more missions. Lucile and I went to the Minneapolis Minnesota mission, where we did a lot of work in the senior citizen center there. We also walked on water by walking on the frozen Lake Superior. With my second wife, Joann K. Beckmann, we served 18 months in the Philippines. We experienced a typhoon, which tore down trees and power-lines, and we were without any communication for a time. We also served a mission at the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake, and gave tours of that building. We worked there for six years. I played the saxophone with the West Jordan City Band, and I play with the West Jordan Senior Band to this day. My family honored me this year on my 95th birthday. I have lived a fruitful and happy life. I have enjoyed going to the senior center and mingling with all the friendly and good people there, and I hope they enjoy me too. My advice is to take advantage of the things that are available at the senior center, and in life, because there is much to learn. I want my family to know that I love God and give all honor and glory to Him.
Earl is survived by his eight children and their spouses; Lois Mortensen (Mike); Wendell Gates (Deena); Thayne Gates (Beth); Jeaneen Moffat (Jay); Becky Chase (Roger); Nancy Erekson (Kirk); Elizabeth Hall (Rodney); and Russell Gates (Jen). Earl had 36 grandchildren, 70 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. Earl was preceded in death by his parents; (Zelma Huntsman Gates Ortega, Wendell Maize Gates, and step father, Joseph Ortega), His wives; (Lucile B. Gates, Joann K. Gates), His brother; Jack Ira Gates, his brother’s wife; Wanda Lee Palmer, and two grandchildren; (McKinley Gates, and Sarah Rhea Mortensen).
The family would like to extend our gratitude and love to our sister Lois Mortenson for taking such good care of our father in his last years.
A viewing will be held Friday February 9, 2024 at Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Home, 1007 West, South Jordan Pkwy, South Jordan, Utah, from 6 to 9:00 pm. Funeral Services will be held Saturday February 10, 2024 at the River Oaks 3rd Ward building •8825 S 1095 W, West Jordan, UT 84088 Viewing 10-10:45 Funeral 11:00 am Online guestbook and live streaming on her obituary at www.jenkins-soffe.com