Charles J. Coates

Charles J. Coates, 91, of Mascoutah, IL, born Oct. 5, 1920 in Perry County, IL, died Sunday, Mar. 25, 2012 at the MarKa Nursing Home, Mascoutah, IL.

Charles retired after 64 years of carpenter work. He and his wife, Norma, settled in Mascoutah as a result of him being foreman on the building of the Silver Creek bottom bridges on Hwy 177 west of Mascoutah. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Mascoutah where he was a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, and Royal Ambassador leader. He was past secretary of the Carpenters union in Mascoutah; a 55 year member of Carpenters Local 5 in St. Louis; past building inspector for the City of Mascoutah; past member of the Coulterville Volunteer Fire Dept.; and a WW II Air Force veteran. Charles enjoyed gardening and fishing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Talmege and Mae, nee Thomas, Coates; a sister, Nellie Doolin; father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Elsie, nee Kohring, Welch; a brother-in-law John Welch; and two sisters-in-law, Wilma Youngblood, and Alberta Kohring.

Surviving are his wife, Norma, nee Welch, Coates whom he married in Stonefort, IL on Mar. 5, 1950; four children, Betty (Paul) Terry of Belleville, IL, John (Pam) Coates of Broken Arrow, OK, Robert (Lauri) Coates of Mascoutah, IL, and Angela (Steven) Haas of Mascoutah, IL; eight grandchildren, David (Heather) Roberson, Andy King, Jonathon Coates, Joshua and Sarah Coates, Brad Coates, Rachel Maue, and Ginni (Paul) Bernard; two great-grandchildren, Micah Roberson and Vivian Bernard; two brothers-in-law, Harold (Sharla) Welch of Rodgers, AR, and Raymond (Donna) Welch of Hermitage, MO; a sister-in-law, Lois Welch of Bolivar, MO.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund, 816 W. Church St., Mascoutah, IL 62258.

Visitation: Friends may call from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at Moll Funeral Home, in Mascoutah, IL, and from 10 to 11 AM Thursday, March 29, 2012 at the First Baptist Church in Mascoutah, IL.

Funeral: Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, March 29, 2012, at First Baptist Church in Mascoutah, IL, with Pastor Duane Smith officiating. Burial will be in Valhalla Gardens of Memory Cemetery, Belleville, IL.