Oct. 5, 1936 - Sept. 20, 1936

Shirley B. (Keyser) Cates, 68, of Sweet Home, died Sept. 20, 2005.

A funeral service was held Sept. 26 at Sweet Home First Baptist Church, with Pastor Harry Wilson presiding.

She was born Oct. 5, 1936, in Watertown, S.D., the daughter of Emmett and Eldora Keyser.

On June 27, 1953, she married Elmer M. (Al) Cates at Clear Lake, S.D.

In 1977, she graduated from Southwest Oregon College with a degree in nursing. She served as a registered nurse at Bay Area Hospital, Coos Bay; The Dalles General Hospital; and retired from Willamette-McKenzie Hospital in Springfield.

She served as a teacher's assistant and children's counselor at Hawthorne Elementary and at Sweet Home High School.

Survivors are her daughters and sons-in-law Pamela and Don Pierce of Forest Grove and Vicki and Edward Riffe of Olympia, Wash.; son and daughter-in-law Ronald and Beverly Cates of Spokane, Wash.; brothers and sisters-in-law Jim and JoAnn Keyser of Valley Springs, S.D. Ken and Gloria Keyser of Spokane, Wash. and Wil and Peggy Keyser of White Salmon, Wash.; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Her husband Al, daughter Kathryn Cates, parents Emmett and Eldora Keyser, brothers Millard and Duaine Richmond, and sisters Loretta Darby and Donna Thompson died before she did.

Memorial contributions may be made to the National Arthritis Foundation or the American Cancer Society and sent in care of Workman & Steckly Funeral Chapel, 1443 Long St. Sweet Home, OR 97386.