In Memoriam

To Hear his voice, to see him smile

To sit and talk with him awhile.

To be together in the same old way

It is our dearest wish today.

There will always be a silent tear,

Our constant wish that he were here.

Others were taken, yes we know,

But he was ours and we miss him so.

Joe Bates and my mom Margaret Katherine (Nitsche) Dainard were married in May 1959. They had know each other as smaller children but married others. Due to the matchmaking efforts of my Aunt Marie Tropple they were later reunited after both their spouses had passed on. They had about sixteen fun and loving years together before she died in 1974 after being taken care of by him thoughout her complete illness. We remained very close and between his banjo playing and his stories of early Seattle history we spent many evenings enjoying ourselves. Even until he was approximately 90 years of age he played as Ragtime Joe with the banjo players in Omak, Washington known as "The Buttercup Gang". His music will ring on with us for years. He was a supportive and lifelong member of the NRA, the Constitution of the United States, and was forever "young". He was really an artist. There was nothing he could not fix, he had been a shoe maker, a gunsmith, machinist, a boat builder, a boilermaker and in his younger years had been a trapper and retained his love for hunting and fishing. When he turned 91 we asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday. The answer was to go fishing so away we went. He was an independant person, living on his own until shortly before he passed on. He was laid to rest next to his beloved Margaret in the cemetery at Fall City, Washington . At the time of his death he had about 29 grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.