Claude Iven Gates
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Auto Repair Garage Owner and Operator
Notes:
• Claude Iven Gates was born in Madison County, Alabama in 1913. He was the oldest of eleven children born to Robert Lester Gates and Bessie Laura Hodges who were married in Madison County in 1912.
Claude's great-great grandfather, Benjamin Tiller, was born in Virginia in 1802. He arrived in Madison County around 1816. He married Anna Tibbs, also born in Virginia and moved to Alabama about the same time, in 1821 and together they purchased and farmed land in northeast Madison County.
Their daughter Elvira, born in 1834, married William Felix Hodges in 1855. Their son W.F. Hodges, Jr., born in 1859, married Willie Crick Brown, born in 1864, in Madison County in 1882.
William and "Cricket", as she was known, lived in the northwest comer of Madison County known as Harvest. Among their eleven children was Bessie, Claude's mother.
When Claude was thirteen years old, he talked his dad into buying him an old junk car. He fixed it up, sold it, took the profit and bought another, each time using some of the profit to repeat the process. He later started his own auto repair business. Claude Gates Garage became the first independently owned auto repair garage in Madison County when it was formally established in 1939.
In 1940, Claude married Emily Methra Carroll, born in Madison County in 1917, daughter of James Daniel Desso Carroll and Flossie Leona Reneger. Desso and Flossie were both born in Lincoln County, Tennessee and moved to Madison County to work at the old Dallas Mill as teen-agers.
Eleven children were born to Claude and Methra including stillborn twins, Brenda Gail (1942-1950), Sue Janel (1944), Gary Iven (1946), Timothy Claude (1948), Linda Kay (1950), Paul Carroll (1952), Claudia Lea (1954), Thomas Dehaan (1956), and James Mark (1958).
Janell, a certified nursing anesthetist, married Roger Dale Morefield and has two sons, Bradley Aaron (1974) and Stephen David (1977). Gary, a Baptist minister, married Ann Monte Hucks and has three children and two grandchildren, Gary Shannon (1969), Jeremy Shaun (1971), Lenessa Shalynn (1983), Christine Elizabeth (1989), and Emily Picabo (1995). Tim, an artist, married Sherrell Louise McAllister and has three sons, Timothy Desso (1966), Jonathan Paul (1969) and Douglas Tyson (1973). Kay, a school teacher, married Eddie Gerald Miles. Paul married Sheila Diane Rhoden and has two children, Scott Douglas (1971) and Allison Michelle (1979). Claudia, secretary at the garage, married Donald Ray Hill and has two children, Donald, Jr. (1974) and Kelly Lea (1977). Dehaan married Jamielee Wood and has three sons, James Dehaan (1983), Shaun Michael (1988) and Stuart Desso (1991). Mark, a machinist, married Connie Rena Mills and has two daughters, Emily Rena (1988) and Brittney Lynn (1990).
Although all of the Gates children worked around the garage growing up, only Paul, Claudia and Dehaan remain employed there. When Claude retired, Paul and Dehaan became its managers. The name was changed to Gates Auto Repair when it was incorporated in the mid 1980's. Upon Claude's death in 1993, Paul and Dehaan became joint owners.
Methra still resides in the house she and Claude bought when they first married, which is located next to the garage. Though some of the descendants are scattered in Alabama, Florida, and Texas, most still reside here in Madison County. Everyone looks forward to gathering at the old homeplace at least once a year. Submitted by: Claudia G. Hill, 2122 Penhall Dr. N.E., Huntsville, AL 35811. Sources: Madison Co. land records, Madison Co. marriage records, 1820 and 1830 Census Records Madison Co., AL. - Hill
• This from the book published in 1955: "The Claude Gates Garage was established in 1939 by its present owner, Claude Gates. Since that time employees added and their experience in the garage and automotive business are as follows: R. L. Gates, 15 years; Gene Adcock, 14 years; Leighton Gates, 13 years; Phil Holloway, 12 years; Ernest Hudson, 7 years. This garage features general automotive repairs. It is also a dealer for the Gates Tire." - Sesquicentenial
• Married Emily Methra Carroll, February 15, 1940, in Madison County Alabama. She was born on May 13, 1917 and died June 15, 2001. - MCRC
Related Links:
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• Sesquicentenial
| Born: | April 23, 1913, Madison County, Alabama |
| Died: | April 7, 1993 |
| Buried: | Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Alabama |
Notes:
• Claude Iven Gates was born in Madison County, Alabama in 1913. He was the oldest of eleven children born to Robert Lester Gates and Bessie Laura Hodges who were married in Madison County in 1912.
Claude's great-great grandfather, Benjamin Tiller, was born in Virginia in 1802. He arrived in Madison County around 1816. He married Anna Tibbs, also born in Virginia and moved to Alabama about the same time, in 1821 and together they purchased and farmed land in northeast Madison County.
Their daughter Elvira, born in 1834, married William Felix Hodges in 1855. Their son W.F. Hodges, Jr., born in 1859, married Willie Crick Brown, born in 1864, in Madison County in 1882.
William and "Cricket", as she was known, lived in the northwest comer of Madison County known as Harvest. Among their eleven children was Bessie, Claude's mother.
When Claude was thirteen years old, he talked his dad into buying him an old junk car. He fixed it up, sold it, took the profit and bought another, each time using some of the profit to repeat the process. He later started his own auto repair business. Claude Gates Garage became the first independently owned auto repair garage in Madison County when it was formally established in 1939.
In 1940, Claude married Emily Methra Carroll, born in Madison County in 1917, daughter of James Daniel Desso Carroll and Flossie Leona Reneger. Desso and Flossie were both born in Lincoln County, Tennessee and moved to Madison County to work at the old Dallas Mill as teen-agers.
Eleven children were born to Claude and Methra including stillborn twins, Brenda Gail (1942-1950), Sue Janel (1944), Gary Iven (1946), Timothy Claude (1948), Linda Kay (1950), Paul Carroll (1952), Claudia Lea (1954), Thomas Dehaan (1956), and James Mark (1958).
Janell, a certified nursing anesthetist, married Roger Dale Morefield and has two sons, Bradley Aaron (1974) and Stephen David (1977). Gary, a Baptist minister, married Ann Monte Hucks and has three children and two grandchildren, Gary Shannon (1969), Jeremy Shaun (1971), Lenessa Shalynn (1983), Christine Elizabeth (1989), and Emily Picabo (1995). Tim, an artist, married Sherrell Louise McAllister and has three sons, Timothy Desso (1966), Jonathan Paul (1969) and Douglas Tyson (1973). Kay, a school teacher, married Eddie Gerald Miles. Paul married Sheila Diane Rhoden and has two children, Scott Douglas (1971) and Allison Michelle (1979). Claudia, secretary at the garage, married Donald Ray Hill and has two children, Donald, Jr. (1974) and Kelly Lea (1977). Dehaan married Jamielee Wood and has three sons, James Dehaan (1983), Shaun Michael (1988) and Stuart Desso (1991). Mark, a machinist, married Connie Rena Mills and has two daughters, Emily Rena (1988) and Brittney Lynn (1990).
Although all of the Gates children worked around the garage growing up, only Paul, Claudia and Dehaan remain employed there. When Claude retired, Paul and Dehaan became its managers. The name was changed to Gates Auto Repair when it was incorporated in the mid 1980's. Upon Claude's death in 1993, Paul and Dehaan became joint owners.
Methra still resides in the house she and Claude bought when they first married, which is located next to the garage. Though some of the descendants are scattered in Alabama, Florida, and Texas, most still reside here in Madison County. Everyone looks forward to gathering at the old homeplace at least once a year. Submitted by: Claudia G. Hill, 2122 Penhall Dr. N.E., Huntsville, AL 35811. Sources: Madison Co. land records, Madison Co. marriage records, 1820 and 1830 Census Records Madison Co., AL. - Hill
• This from the book published in 1955: "The Claude Gates Garage was established in 1939 by its present owner, Claude Gates. Since that time employees added and their experience in the garage and automotive business are as follows: R. L. Gates, 15 years; Gene Adcock, 14 years; Leighton Gates, 13 years; Phil Holloway, 12 years; Ernest Hudson, 7 years. This garage features general automotive repairs. It is also a dealer for the Gates Tire." - Sesquicentenial
• Married Emily Methra Carroll, February 15, 1940, in Madison County Alabama. She was born on May 13, 1917 and died June 15, 2001. - MCRC
Related Links:
• Find A Grave - Page created by Bobbie Christian and maintained by Gene Hill.
• Hill - Submitted by Claudia G. Hill for The Heritage of Madison County, Alabama, by The Madison County Heritage Book Committee, John P. Rankin, Chairman, pages 198 & 199.
• MCRC - Madison County Records Center
• Sesquicentenial - Commemorative Album, Celebrating our City's Sesquicentennial of Progress, Huntsville, Alabama, by James E. Taylor, General Chairman, 1955, page 315.
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• Sesquicentenial