Pheba, Mississippi
Mrs. Ann Bates
1934 — 2023
Mrs. Mildred Ann Bates completed her journey through this world on her 89th birthday, December 27th, 2023. Born Mildred Annette Neal December 27th, 1934, to Earl E. and Mary Louvenia Strickland Neal in her parents' home in Pheba, Mississippi. A graduate of Clay County Agricultural School in Pheba and later a first-generation college graduate when she completed her studies in Home Economics at Mississippi State College for Women in Columbus, Mississippi. Before graduation, Ann met Bobby Joe Bates, of Columbus, while he was on leave from his service with the United States Navy. They courted until the end of his submariner duties with the Navy. After college graduation, she served the Marks,...