San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MRS. WAKELEY J. BATES
A prominent and representative
citizen of the Thornton district of San Joaquin County is Mrs. Wakeley J.
Bates, who was born and reared at Thornton.
In maidenhood she was Miss Mary Alvernia Thornton, a daughter of Arthur
and Emma (Greives) Thornton, pioneers of San Joaquin County, whose sketch
appears elsewhere in this work.
Mary Alvernia Thornton began her
education in the Thornton grammar school; then after a course at Mills
Seminary, Oakland, she attended the San Joaquin College at Woodbridge. On February 7, 1893 at the old Thornton home,
occurred her first marriage, which united her with Harry W. Awre,
a native of England and a son of Henry and Elizabeth Awre. On June 30, 1906, in Sacramento, occurred her
second marriage, which united Mrs. Awre with Wakeley J. Bates, a native of Stockton, California. Mr. Bates was reared and educated in Stockton
until he was eighteen years old, when he began working in the planing
mills. For many years he was with Thomas
& Buell in their planing mill, until 1912, when he and his wife removed to
Thornton, where they have since continuously resided. Mrs. Bates received twenty acres of land as a
gift from her father previous to his death, which is now her home place. Ten acres of this place is a bearing
vineyard, and the other ten acres is devoted to wheat raising. Mr. and Mrs. Bates are the parents of two
sons, Richard Thornton and Arthur Thornton, the latter deceased at eleven years
of age. In 1919 a fine residence of
hollow tile, covered with concrete, was erected on the ranch, which is modern
and complete in every detail. Mrs. Bates
also owns her interest in the Thornton estate.
For many years she was the postmaster of the New Hope post office, and
she is still a trustee of the New Hope school district. She is also a member of the Thornton Farm
Bureau. During the World War, Mrs. Bates
was the treasurer of the local chapter of the American Red Cross.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1307. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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