Delores Yates

1928 - 2022

Delores Marion Yates, beloved wife of the late Bill Yates, passed away in Bow Island on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at the age of 93 years.

The funeral service was held at St. Andrew's United Church, 139 - 2 Avenue West, Bow Island on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 1:00 P.M. Burial followed at the Bow Island Cemetery.

Delores is survived by her son Bob (Tish) Yates of Calgary; son Tom (Dawn) Yates of Calgary and their family Travis (Bridget) Yates (their children Aven and Violet), Jamey Yates and Breanne and Rob Hanna (their children Lexi and Elli); son Gary (Shelley) Yates of Bow Island and their family Cassandra (Ryan) Kielstra (their children Alexa, Cash, Zane and Karista), Larissa (Deven) Collins (their children Kade and Ryker); Nancy (Nyle) Starner of Bow Island and their family Robert (Stephanie) Starner (their children Ava and Oliver), Jody (Jaime) Starner (their children Jaxson, Parker and Preslee), Cummins (Melissa) Starner (their children Nolen and Marshall), Morgan (Curtis) Clark (their children Bishop, Hildey and Dylan), Kelsey (Blane) Dureault (their son Kansas); Jim’s son Derek (Maria) Yates (their children Shailyn and Kayla). She is also survived by brother-in-law Tom Yates, sister-in-law Betty Ostby and by numerous nieces and nephews.

Besides Bill, her loving husband of fifty nine years, Delores was predeceased by her son Jim Yates; grandson Blake Elliott; parents Fauster and Marion Ostby; sister Delrose Bell; brother Donald Ostby; brothers-in-law Charlie Bell and Mick Brooks; sisters-in-law Midge Yates, Pat Brooks; Bill’s parents Harold and Ethel Yates and adopted brother, Richard Yates.

Delores was born on a farm in the Coutts area on May 16, 1928 to Fauster and Marion Ostby. She had a younger sister named Delrose and a younger brother named Donald. They moved into Coutts when she was fourteen. When she was fifteen, she went to work in the telephone office after school and took over running it before she graduated from high school. She ran it until she was twenty one. At that time, she married Bill Yates on July 15, 1949. They moved into a little trailer house. A few years later, they decided to live in Burdett. Delores and Bill went into the gravel crushing business, forming Royal Sand & Gravel Ltd., doing municipal work graveling roads throughout Southern Alberta for over fifty years. Delores did bookkeeping and cooking until their oldest son started school. They had five children and she used to go out with the children during the summer holidays when they were out of school. Delores always said that she didn’t think there was a gravel pit in Southern Alberta that they didn’t live in at one time or another. Delores was a cub and scout leader and also an active member of the Burdett United Church and a Sunday school teacher. She always said, it’s been a wonderful life. They moved all over Southern Alberta and have many friends in many places. She also said that in all their travels, she had never seen anything better than Southern Alberta.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes in Delores’ name may be made directly to the Bow Island and District Health Foundation, Bag 3990, Bow Island, Alberta T0K 0G0.