Elamaud “Miss El” Walker Cates of Tifton died Wednesday, December 4, 2013, at Tift Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 9, 2013, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. Dr. Wayne Roe will officiate with burial to be held at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 9, 2013, in the Milan Cemetery in Milan. The family will receive friends on Monday, December 9, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of the service at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mrs. Cates was born in Dodge County and was the daughter of Lewis Jerry Walker and Lou Alice Alligood Walker, both deceased. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Charles Alexander Cates, three brothers and one sister. She received her Masters Degree from Mercer University and her Specialist in Education Degree from the University of Georgia. She retired with 40 years of service to the public school system of Georgia. She was a member of Tifton’s First Baptist Church, where she taught the Serenity Sunday School Class. She was also a member of the 20th Century Library Club, the Primrose Garden Club and the Tift Regional Medical Center Pink Ladies Auxiliary.
Mrs. Cates is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Charles W. and Lyn Cates of Atlanta and Dr. L. Riley and Paula Cates of Isle of Palms, South Carolina; four grandchildren, Abigail Cates, Jason Cates, Ashley Cates Dalhover and Hilary Cates Cherskov; and two great-grandchildren, Olivia Cherskov and Taylor Dalhover.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Cates Christian Education Scholarship Fund at Tifton’s First Baptist Church, 404 Love Avenue, Tifton, GA 31794.