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William Earl “Bill” Coates

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Birth	:	3 Nov 1925 Mulberry, Crawford County, Kansas, USA
Death	:	18 Jun 2010 Pittsburg, Crawford County, Kansas, USA
Burial	:	Rosebank Cemetery, Mulberry, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate	:	37.5518990, -94.6194000
Description	:	William Earl 'Bill' Coates 03 November 1925 - 18 June 2010 * PITTSBURG — William "Bill" Coates**, 84, of Pittsburg, KS died at 7:00 a.m., Friday, June 18, 2010, at his home following a long illness. He was born Nov. 3, 1925, in Mulberry, KS, the son of Earl and Mabel (Carlson) Coates. On March 8, 1975, he was united in marriage to Geraldine (Fisher) Portwood in Gross, KS; she survives him of the home. For over 25 years Bill worked in Construction and was a member of the Construction and Industrial Labor Union. He was a Deacon & Original Board Member of Lighthouse Tabernacle starting in... Read More	William Earl 'Bill' Coates 03 November 1925 - 18 June 2010 * PITTSBURG — William "Bill" Coates*, 84, of Pittsburg, KS died at 7:00 a.m., Friday, June 18, 2010, at his home following a long illness. He was born Nov. 3, 1925, in Mulberry, KS, the son of Earl and Mabel (Carlson) Coates. On March 8, 1975, he was united in marriage to Geraldine (Fisher) Portwood in Gross, KS; she survives him of the home. For over 25 years Bill worked in Construction and was a member of the Construction and Industrial Labor Union. He was a Deacon & Original Board Member of Lighthouse Tabernacle starting in their home. Many children from his church named him the "Candy Man" because he always brought candy for them to church. For many years Bill operated his bike shop in his own garage and later moved his bike's to Bill and Lee's Bike Shop on Joplin Street. Bill spent three to four hours a day in his dimly lit workshop repairing everything from 20 inch racers to 10 speed touring bikes. In 2006, Bill was deemed a Miracle man that was diagnosed with Polyglycosamine disorder which caused him to have paralysis. He defeated all odds with aggressive therapy in which he regained strength in all of his arms and legs and was able to walk again. Bill is known for his avid enthusiasm for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. On many occasions he was known to have game day celebrations with football and food. He was a daily listener of KKOW. Bill loved his wife of 35 years, Geraldine, and also loved to spend time with his grandchildren. Birthdays were one thing he always remembered. People knew Bill for his sharp mind, remembering many historical events and his keen sense of working with numbers. Bill loved gardening. He took pride in his tomato plants. Additional survivors include two sons: Brian and Loren Coates and a step-son Jerry Portwood all of Mulberry, one daughter: Janet Ingle of Olathe, KS, and 4 step-daughters: Carolyn Garrett of Neodesha, Patty Matson of Pittsburg, Rose Douglas and Mary Jones both of Mulberry; two brothers: Junior Coates of Mulberry and Ernest Coates of Shreveport, LA; two sisters: Shirley Prettyman of Kansas City, MO and Rosalie Taylor of Seneca, MO, 14 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter Judy Dawson. Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 22, 2010, at the Lighthouse Tabernacle Church with Rev. Daryl Gaddy officiating. Burial will follow in the Rosebank Cemetery. Family will receive friends at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home from 6-8 pm Monday evening. Condolences may be left at www.bathnaylor.com. Memorials may be made to the Lighthouse Tabernacle Building Fund; these may be left at or mailed to the funeral home. Arrangements and services are under the direction of Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, 522 S Broadway, Pittsburg, KS. The Morning Sun, (Pittsburg, KS) Posted Jun 19, 2010 @ 11:50 PM Sunday, June 20, 2010 ~`~ Miracle man Local man beats odds against rare disorder Bill Coates had never seen a miracle. Now he is one. Diagnosed with an extremely rare disorder, he totally lost the use of his arms and legs. "His prognosis was dire when he was admitted here on June 21, 2005," said Dan Knaup, physical therapist at Sunset Manor. "Basically, he was sent here to die." But that's not what happened. A Mulberry native who lived in Oklahoma for 30 years before returning to this area, Coates operated a small bicycle shop at 105 S. Joplin St. for 17 years. Several years ago, he noticed that something strange was happening. "The bikes started getting a little bit heavier," Coates said. "But I never felt bad, I just got weaker. The more I tried to exercise, the weaker I got, and nobody knew why." He retired in 2000. His wife, Geraldine, whom he married in 1975, faithfully cared for him. "I had to lift him from the wheelchair into bed, or back out of bed into the wheelchair," she said. "When I could help her a little, it wasn't too bad," Coates added. "But then I was just like dead weight, and that was too much for her." In June 2005, at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., a neurologist finally did make a diagnosis. Coates has adult onset polyglycosamine body disease, which causes generalized paralysis. This is a metabolic disorder pertaining to carbohydrate transport, according to Darelyn Bearden, LPN, Sunset Manor assistant director of nursing and restorative coordinator. "This is so rare that there are only 47 known cases in the world," Bearden said. Finally, he entered Sunset Manor. "Bill had zero movement in his arms and legs then," Knaup said. "All he could move was his head, and a device had to be rigged up so he could turn on his call light by turning his head." "I couldn't even pick up a pencil," Coates said. "When I had to sign the papers to come in here, they had to put a pencil in my hand, and I had to sign with an X because I couldn't write my name." Restorative personnel began doing what they could for him. Melissa Rhuems has been working with him from the start. "At first all we could do were leg and arm stretches and range-of-motion exercises," she said. "I laid flat in bed from June to January," Coates said. "Then one day I saw that the big toe on my left foot move just a little. A week or so later I noticed more movement." Knaup said that, as Coates was able to tolerate it, more aggressive therapy was done. "Now I can wheel myself in the wheelchair and I can feed myself," Coates said. "I can even walk about 150 to 200 feet with a walker." He also doesn't need to use that special device to call for assistance any more. "Now if Bill needs something, he can just roll his wheelchair out into the hall and holler," Rhuems said. His wife praised the Sunset Manor staff and therapists. "They're the best," she said. "The treatment has been great, and they've been so good to Bill." Mrs. Coates added that the couple's strong religious faith has helped bring them through this crisis. "We give the credit to the Lord," she said. The "miracle man" probably deserves some credit, too, Knaup said. "I was just thinking that Bill could be a good example of what Tom Brokaw refers to in his book, 'The Greatest Generation', in which ordinary people continue to do extraordinary things," Knaup said. "We therapists see this quite often in working with the elderly. Despite the poor prognosis he was given, Bill remained cheerful and hopeful that some miracle would come along that would help him." "Bill is just a good guy," Rhuems added. "He's an inspiration to the other patients here. In fact, he's an inspiration to all of us." [Photo] Ray Brecheisen/The Morning Sun Bill Coates walks with the assistance of rehabilitative therapists Andrea Sturgeon, left, and Melissa Rhuems at Sunset Manor in Frontenac Monday. In June of last year Coates was diagnosted with the metabolic disorder polyglycosamine. There are only 47 known case of the disorder. Morning Sun, The (Pittsburg, KS) NIKKI PATRICK Morning Sun Lifestyle Editor Published: April 25, 2006 ~~ ~

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is William Earl “Bill” Coates's memorial?
William Earl “Bill” Coates's memorial is located at: Rosebank Cemetery, Mulberry, Crawford County, USA.
When did William Earl “Bill” Coates death?
William Earl “Bill” Coates death on 18 Jun 2010 in Pittsburg, Crawford County, Kansas, USA
Where are the coordinates of the William Earl “Bill” Coates's memorial?
Latitude: 37.5518990
Longitude: -94.6194000

Family Members:

Parent

William Earl Coates

(1895 - 1957)

Spouse

Geraldine Fisher Coates

(1933 - 2016)

Siblings

Junior Loren Coates

(1921 - 2010)

Shirley Dean Coates Prettyman

(1930 - 2013)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Rosebank Cemetery
Mulberry, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.5518990, -94.6194000

2. Smilie Cemetery
Mulberry, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.5503006, -94.6492004

3. Yale Cemetery
Mindenmines, Barton County, USA
Coordinate: 37.4836900, -94.6155000

4. Franklin Cemetery
Franklin, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.5135200, -94.7066500

5. Leroy Cemetery
Barton County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6246986, -94.5753021

6. Pleasant Valley Cemetery
Arcadia, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6302480, -94.6481540

7. Garden of Memories Cemetery
Washington Township, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.5078011, -94.7063980

8. Liberal City Cemetery
Liberal, Barton County, USA
Coordinate: 37.5621986, -94.5057983

9. Mindenmines Cemetery
Mindenmines, Barton County, USA
Coordinate: 37.4639381, -94.5913460

10. Arcadia Catholic Cemetery
Arcadia, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6441100, -94.6391100

11. Englevale Cemetery
Englevale, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.5861015, -94.7322006

12. Lone Star Cemetery
Frontenac, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.4768982, -94.7043991

13. Shirley Cemetery
Frontenac, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.4768930, -94.7047340

14. Old Arcadia Cemetery
Arcadia, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6539001, -94.6271973

15. Shiloh Cemetery
Liberal, Barton County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6455994, -94.5563965

16. Mount Carmel Cemetery
Frontenac, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.4552994, -94.6789017

17. Frontenac Cemetery
Frontenac, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.4542007, -94.6766968

18. McGonigle Cemetery
Cato, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6264000, -94.7305984

19. Barton City Cemetery
Liberal, Barton County, USA
Coordinate: 37.5774994, -94.4721985

20. Brown Cemetery
Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6571999, -94.6996994

21. Union Center Cemetery
Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.5292015, -94.7778015

22. Fowler Cemetery
Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6636009, -94.7011032

23. Trogdon Cemetery
Dry Wood, Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6618090, -94.7115040

24. Nance Cemetery
Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 37.6576300, -94.7270400