Betsy, I want you to know that you are not alone in your time of need. There are many who share in your loss and will keep you lifted in prayer. Your mother lived a full life. Oriental is missing a jewel. Remain Blessed!!!!

To the family of Helen Bates, I am sorry to hear of your loss. At a time like this, it is normal for persons to ask such questions as, "Why did this happen?" or "How could God allow such a beloved person to succumb to death?" I am writing you to comfort you with something that has comforted me when I have dealt with the death of a loved one. What if you could see Ms. Bates again? According to John 5:28, 29, you can! There, Jesus said, "The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice, and come out." Furthermore, at Acts 24:15, Paul said, "I have hope toward God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous." This is not just a hope, but it will happen. It was so easy for the son of God, Jesus, to resurrect a person, that he likened a dead person to a person sleeping. (Luke 8:49-55) Just think, Ms. Bates will once again be able to spend time with her family and friends and do all the other things she loved to do with perfect health. God knows that people all around the world are suffering and dying due to something none of us can control: inherited sin. (Romans 5:12) The good news is that He intends on fixing that in the near future. In the beginning, man was meant to live forever on a perfect paradise earth, and God is not weak so as to say He was a failure at accomplishing that purpose. To the contrary, He purposes to remove wicked persons from the earth, and make the conditions just like the paradise that He intended. (Psalms 37:10, 11, 29; Isaiah 2:4) I hope I was able to offer you some comfort during this very distressful time in your life. Just keep in mind that with God, anything is possible. If He can create the powerful sun, numerous stars, and you and me, then He can surely bring dead persons back to life, as His son demonstrated while on the earth. My Sincerest Condolences, Ms. T. Smith 3202 Silver Star Dr. Durham NC 27713

Betsy and Jim, It was our pleasure to get to know both your parents at Green Bay Marina in Oriental. I especially enjoyed the time spent with Helen talking of all sorts of things. She and I had a Findley, Ohio connection as I have family there, too. She was a fine lady and I have missed her being down at Oriental on our recent visits, seeing her motor by in her little golf cart. She has surely been missed and will continue to be. We are happy that our paths crossed.. May God's peace surround you now and always and that you have many fond memories to cherish. Nancy and Jim Pollard

I was so sorry to hear about Ms. Bates. I never met her, but feel like I do. My sister,Judy Moore talked about all the times, always something special that Ms. Bates said or did. She had great friends in Judy and Keith, they loved her very much. I pray that u take solace in the fact that she was a great Lady. (Wish I could have met her) I am sure stories of her will live on everytime i talk to Judy. Love and Prayers, Vickie Manley

I first met Helen when Uncle Bob brought her home to meet the Bates family for the first time. I was about eight or nine years old, and she was a COLLEGE GIRL. I was so impressed! She was wearing a dark green plaid dress and her hair was styled in a page-boy fastened with a flat silver barrette. The day she became Helen Bates was also the day she became my Aunt Helen. I didn't know until later that on her way to the wedding, Mrs. Burrell, the mother of the bride, slammed her finger in the car door. She didn't want to delay the wedding ceremony, so sat through the whole thing, hiding her split finger in her glove. The Bates family was a big pie-making family. We often had three or four kinds on the table at a family dinner. But Helen was not particularly fond of pie; she preferred to have a second helping of potato salad for desert. After Bob and Helen were married, Bob was still in college in Bowling Green, and the newly married couple lived in a house trailer near the campus. They had a black cat named Nudnick who had kittens under the bed in the trailer. When I was in seventh grade, Aunt Helen appeared one day in my English class as a substitute teacher. Since I was one of the few students whose name she knew, I was called upon frequently. I was a college student in Cleveland at the same time Bob and Helen lived there. They were gracious hosts when I occasionally needed a weekend away from the campus. I could to on, but let these good memories soften the grief.

Dear Betsy and Jim, I'm so sorry for your loss. You have cared for your Mom with so much love and patience. I know your Dad would be so proud of every moment spent at her side. My prayers are that with time, the pain eases. Love, Phyllis Barbour

What on earth can we say except that your family is tops with us. Keith and I will truly miss her. She was so special to us and we had so much fun with her in Oriental. You and Jim are like our brother and sister and we hope you know that from the bottoms of our hearts. Brantley's place in Oriental with Miss Cricket were very special to her and to Miss Cricket. Life brings us treausres and it is up to us to make the most of them. Helen was a treasure that will always be near and dear to our hearts. Please know that we will make the final journey to her final resting place with Mr. Bob a special trip. Much love to you. Keith and Judy Moore