Ervin Foster Gates

Ervin Foster "Pee Wee” Gates, age 97, and longtime resident of Seminole, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on April 12, 2020.  Ervin was born in Wilton, Connecticut to parents Myron James and Mary Edith (Tripp) Gates on March 4, 1923. Ervin was married to Elizabeth (Betty) Edmunds on June 16, 1948 at the First Methodist Church in Warrensburg, New York after having served his country in World War II in the Pacific theater.  He and Betty lived in northern New York State until 1981, when they moved to Seminole to be near their children. He began working at Seminole Schools as Maintenance Director and after serving for ten years, he opened a janitorial service in Seminole. He later went back to work for Seminole Schools and worked as a custodian at different schools and would entertain the children at Betty L. Smith school by playing his harmonica for them while they were in the lunch line. Ervin was in the New York Guard and was a member of the Military Band playing the trumpet.  He was discharged in 1943 and was inducted in the United States Armed Forces.  Ervin served in the Army as Private First Class and was discharged in 1946 after receiving the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal and serving in New Guinea and the Liberation of Philippines.  After his time in the service, Ervin went back into the New York Guard for the second time as a Second Lieutenant.  Ervin was awarded the Thunderbird Award in 2017 from the Oklahoma Guard, presented by Col. Brad Carter. Ervin is survived by five children; Bryon Gates and wife Susan of Seminole, George Gates and wife Lisa of Seminole, Barbara Bartlett and husband Michael of Collinsville, Mary Wolling and husband Richard of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Kathryn Brown, step-daughter of Venice, Florida.  He is also survived by fifteen grandchildren, thirty-seven great grandchildren, two great, great grandchildren, and one sister Alice Godfrey of Pleasantville, Pennsylvania. Ervin was preceded in death by his wife Betty who passed away in 2017, parents, Myron James and Mary E. Gates and brothers, Milford (his twin), James, Edgar and Lewis Gates, as well as one sister, Ellouise Oglesby. There will be a family graveside gathering at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, 2020, at Maple Grove Cemetery, followed by a Memorial Service later in the fall. The graveside service will be streamed live on the Swearingen Funeral Home Facebook page. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Ervin's memory to Interfaith Social Ministries, P.O. Box 1602, Seminole, Oklahoma 74818 or Goodland Academy of Oklahoma, P.O. Box 1056, Hugo, Oklahoma 74743-1056.  Services are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole, Oklahoma. Funeral Information: April 16, 2020, 2:00 PM Private family graveside service at Maple Grove Cemetery located at 1000 West Strother Avenue, Seminole, OK 74868