Franklin G. Coates, 86, of Benton City, died Sunday, October 26, 2003, at the Life Care Center of Richland.

Frank was born on a farm in Carey, Idaho on October, 20, 1917. While growing up there, he worked on the farm, and one of the things that he did for his dad was to shepherd the sheep. His dad lost the farm during the Great Depression, and the family moved to Nampa, Idaho where his dad worked as a butcher.

Frank worked as a farmhand while growing up. He quit school after the eighth grade in order to help support the family. He worked in the creamery and a produce house. He met Jual Willis and they were married on April 25, 1939. They were married 64 years before Jual died this last July, 2003.

Frank worked at many different jobs. Some of them were: cabdriver in Nampa, logger in Oregon, produce manager in Nampa, ironworker in Boise, and pipefitter/welder in the Tri-Cities, where he was a member of Local #598. Jual, he and the two boys moved to California during World War II where he worked in the shipyards. After the War they moved back to Idaho. Jual's father and brothers were working up in Washington at the nuclear site and said that there were welders needed up there. He and Jual move to Richland in 1947, but had to stay with her parents because there was no housing. In 1948, they found a house in Prosser then moved there. Their youngest child was born in early 1948 and was sick most of the first year. This was very stressful for Frank, and he had a nervous breakdown in 1949 and moved back to Idaho.

Frank and his family moved back to Washington in 1950, this time to Benton City, which became his hometown except for a few times that he had to go elsewhere to find work. They always returned to Benton City when the job was over or when jobs were again available at Hanford. He retired at age 62 and again became the shepherd of sheep that he had been so many years before.

He is survived by a brother, Earl Coates, Melba, Idaho; sons, Ronal Claudia Coates & Larry Mary Coates, Richland, WA, Dickie Coates, Benton City, WA, extended family: Tressa Watts, Mandy Pearson & Pat Grogan also of Benton City, WA. There are 4 extended grandchildren; 7 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Frank was preceded in death by his loving wife; his mother and father; five brothers and one sister. Also one of their extended family members preceded him in death.

Graveside Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 1, 2003, in Sunset Memorial Gardens, Richland, WA.

Visitation will be held at Einan's Funeral Home from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 31.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Frank's memory to the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, 8620 W. Gage Blvd, Kennewick, WA 99336.