LOYCE P. "MIKE" CATES, 77, of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Wednesday morning, December 16, 2009 in Country Side Estates in Cherokee.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 18th, at 2 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Cherokee. Pastor Richard Arndt will officiate and burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Cherokee. There will be military rites at graveside by L. A. Wescott Post #2253 of the V.F.W. There will be a family prayer service at 1:45 p.m. at the church on Friday. Visitation will be on Thursday from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. with the family present from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. On line condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Mike was born May 22, 1932 at Early, Iowa to Chester and Nellie (Burrow) Cates. He attended school in Early and later in Sac City. He moved to Cherokee with his parents in 1950. He served in the U. S. Air Force as a jet mechanic for 1952 until 1956, being a member of the Strategic Air Command. On May 24, 1953, he was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Trinity Lutheran Church in Amarillo, Texas. He was married to Elaine Miller on December 20, 1953 at Zion Lutheran Church in Paullina, Iowa. He was employed at Lundell Manufacturing and Simonsen Feed Mill. In May of 1967, he was involved in a truck-train accident and was confined to a wheelchair since that time. He operated a band instrument repair shop in his home for several years. He enjoyed fishing. He was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church, the V.F.W., and the American Legion.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two great grandchildren Tyler and Trevor Nelson; brothers Demont, Harlan and Thomas Cates and sisters Thelma Gleason, Phyllis Christophersen and Wilma Anderson.

He is survived by his wife Elaine, one daughter and one son; Joyce Gross and her husband Harry of Cherokee, Iowa; Paul Cates and his wife Marcia of Ida Grove, Iowa; 7 grandchildren: John Nelson, Tiffany (Jim) Johnson, Amanda Gross, Mark, Matthew, Mallory and Mariah Cates; 7 great grandchildren: Clayton, Abby, Emma, Gabriel, Whitney, Wyatt and Weston; two brothers: James (Rose) Cates of Okoboji, Iowa; Robert (Fran) Cates of Mason City, Iowa; many nieces and nephews.