Jo Bates

Bates, Jo Anne BRODHEAD / MADISON Jo Anne Bates, age 74, passed away on Friday, Aug. 22, 2008, at HospiceCare. She was born on Feb. 3, 1934, in Hamilton, Ohio, the daughter of George and Bertha Dahlman. Jo graduated from Madison Edgewood High School with the class of 1952. She was united in marriage to William L. Bates on July 10, 1954, in Monona. Jo was a longtime member of St. Dennis Catholic Church, serving on the parish council and as an ecumenical minister. She also volunteered as a teachers aide at St. Dennis Catholic School for 25 years. Jo was currently a 12 year member of St. Patricks Catholic Church, Albany. She loved to cook and have her family near her. She especially enjoyed baking everyones favorite Christmas cookies every year. Each holiday and birthday she would spend days in preparation for the special meal in anticipation of the family gathering. Jo possessed the gift of gab and always enjoyed meeting new people. She was blessed with the ability to make lifelong friendships wherever she had lived. One of her favorite pastime activities was tending to her beautiful perennial flower gardens. She belonged to the Brodhead Evening Garden Club and enjoyed sharing her experience of flowers and nature with neighbors and friends. Jo was an avid reader and loved sharing books and traveling ideas. Every year she would make a travel list expressing her ideas on where she wanted to go and who she wanted to visit. Her familys fondest memories are camping at Okee with her sisters and family. Most of all, Jo was proud to be a Grandma and loved spending time with all her grandkids. She was looking forward to the newest grandchild, who is due to be born this November. Jo is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, William; her six children, Lynn (Wendell) Egeness of Stoughton, Diane (Kurt) Miller of Fitchburg, Terry Brundish of Madison, Joy (Jeff) Gunderson of Stoughton, Michael (Amy) Bates of Sussex and Daniel (Emily) Bates of St. Paul, Minn.; two granddaughters, Rachael Lawry of Madison and Katie Bates of Sussex; four grandsons, Zander and Skyler Gunderson of Stoughton and Matthew and Connor Bates of Sussex; two sisters, Janet (Robert) McKee of Fitchburg and Pat (James) Cords of McFarland; and her step-mother, Jenny Dahlman of Madison. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Jeanne Doyle. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. DENNIS CATHOLIC CHURCH, 505 Dempsey Rd., Madison, at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008, with Father Mick Moon and Father Kent Schmitt concelebrating. Burial will be in Roselawn Memorial Park. Visitation will be at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Dr., from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008, and at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Wednesday. Memorials may be made to Brodhead Public Library or St. Dennis Catholic School. Her family will miss her deeply - and they know she is already "catching up" with old friends and family in heaven.