Delora Brown Bateman, age 94, passed away at her home in Diamondville, on Thursday, Sept. 5. She was born in Woodruff, Utah, on Nov. 9, 1924, the daughter of William Ezra and Jeanette Pauline (Nielson) Brown.
She married Ralph S. Bateman, on April 28, 1943, in Evanston. To this union were born, Martha (Marty) Travitz, Ralph E. (Ed) Bateman, Marilyn K. Bateman, Anna L. Angwin and John J Bateman.
Delora is survived by 12 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and 17 great-great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband; her sons, John and Ed; a grandson, Dewy L. Davis; her parents; and five sisters and two brothers, Agnes Carl, Sarah (George) Robinson, James (Bettie) Brown, Bessie (Roy) Meadows, Robert (Candy) Brown, Bernice (Carl) Warner and Elenore Wright.
Delora was raised on the ranch 18 miles north of Evanston, which remained a very fond place to her throughout her life. She attended schools in Woodruff, Randolph, and some in Evanston. In 1942, she was an attendant to the queen for the Evanston Cowboy Days celebration.
When she was in her teens, she drove taxi in Evanston. She cleaned the Strand Theatre and then went to work for Safeway Food Stores for many years, retiring in her early 70s, and then became a surrogate mother and friend to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Delora and her husband moved to Cheyenne until his death in 1979. She then moved back to Kemmerer to work at Safeway Food Store again, after being a security guard at the Naughton Power Plant. She instilled hard work, integrity and loyalty and grit to everyone she came into contact with. She was devoted to her entire family.
Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Evanston City Cemetery in Evanston, with Bishop Jeff Nelson officiating. Inurnment will take place at the Evanston City Cemetery. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Ball Family Chapel of Kemmerer. Online condolences may be left at ballfamilychapel.com.
