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Kathleen “Kati” Scharff Bates, 52, West Branch
Obituaries · July 11, 2014



Kathleen “Kati” Scharff Bates, 52, of West Branch died Thursday, July 3, 2014, at her home.

Funeral services were Monday, July 7, 2014, at the Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Branch with visitation Monday. Burial was at the Downey Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established. Online condolences may be made to the family at hendersonbarkerfuneralhome.com.

Kati was born Sept. 3, 1961, in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of Billy A. and Rose Mary McCain Scharff. She graduated from West Liberty High School in 1979. She was united in marriage to Tom Bates on Sept. 21, 2001, in Downey, Iowa. Kati was employed as a business analyst in the University of Iowa’s Office of the Registrar, where she worked for 28 years.

Kati loved listening to music as well as singing. She enjoyed watching stock car races, especially when it was her son Lucas. She also enjoyed watching her daughter Codi participate in sports, especially volleyball. Kati was concerned about others more than herself and was always willing to help those in need.

She is survived by husband Tom Bates of Tipton; mother Rose Mary Scharff of West Liberty; son Lucas Thurness of West Liberty; daughter Codi Thurness of Manhattan, Kan.; stepdaughters Ashly Abrahamson of Minnesota and Allie Bates of Tipton; sisters Debra (Mario) Iniquez of Grandview, Iowa, and Cynthia Thomas of South Carolina; brother-in-law Phil Ingram of West Branch; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father Billy A. Scharff and sister Pamela Scharff.