Helen C Bates

Helen C. (Maier) Bates, 96 of Wyomissing, passed away September 5, 2008 in the Highlands at Wyomissing.

She was the wife of Robert Bates Jr. with whom she enjoyed more than 66 years of happy marriage.

Born in Reading, PA on October 17, 1911, she was the daughter of the late Andrew and Mayme Maier.

She was a graduate of McCann's Business School and at one time was the past president of the Alphi Iota Sorority, Alumni Chapter.

Helen was a long-time member and volunteer of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, West Reading.

Helen married Robert (Bob) Bates on May 20, 1942 in the base chapel at Langley Field, Virginia while he was in the Army Air Corps.

Throughout her married life she enjoyed the many camping trips they took ranging from Canada to the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee not to forget the precious memories of many weekend vacations at Promised Land State Park and Worlds End State Park with the Hoshauer and Grimm families.

For the most part of her life, Helen was a homemaker with two wonderful children to show for it.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by a daughter, Susan, wife of Ernest Speros, and a son, Robert III., husband of Theresa Bates.

Other survivors include three grandchildren, David, husband of Justyna Bates; Matthew, husband of Marcy Bates, and Shelley, wife of Matthew Brower; and three great-grandchildren, Samuel, Evan, and Andrew.

Helen is predeceased by a sister Marie, wife of Edward Janis and a brother, Andrew Maier Jr.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. Burial will be in Gethsemane Cemetery. Friends may call one hour before the services in the church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Recreation Fund of Heather Court at Highlands at Wyomissing 2000 Cambridge Ave, Wyomissing, PA 19610. Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., West Reading is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be recorded at www.kuhnfuneralhome.com