About Us

Our funeral home dates back to April, 1950, when the business was established as the Newman Funeral Home by Oskaloosa native John C. Newman. After serving his country during World War II, John attended the old Hohenschuh-Carpenter College of Embalming in St. Louis, Missouri. Intent on owning and operating his own funeral home in Oskaloosa, he purchased the stately, colonial style residence at the corner of South 7th Street and First Avenue East in Oskaloosa, and converted it into a funeral home.

Through the years, as the business grew and the facility was enlarged by additions, Mr. Newman was joined, in 1973, in the operation of the business by Joseph F. Bates. Mr. Bates is a 1971 graduate of Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa, and a graduate of the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science in Louisville, Kentucky, and became a partner in the funeral home in 1977.

In February, 1979, John Newman died very suddenly of a heart attack, and the reins of the business were taken up by Joe Bates, assisted by his wife, Carol Bates. In 1981, the Bates' became the sole owners of the business, intent to maintain the high standards of excellence established through the years, while building the business on the foundation of the past.

Through the 1980's, Joe and Carol Bates continued to operate the Newman Funeral Chapel, while becoming very active members within the community through various civic organizations. In addition to local organizations, the funeral home is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association and the Iowa Funeral Directors Association, and been recognized for service excellence from those professional groups. On July 1, 1990, the name of the funeral business was officially changed from Newman Funeral Chapel to Bates Funeral Chapel. The new name was the only change. The Bates' continued operating the funeral home from the original, centrally located site, 114 South 7th Street, as has been the case in it's 50 plus year history.

In June, 1998, the former Powers Funeral Home of Oskaloosa merged business operations with the Bates Funeral Chapel. The Powers facility (302 First Avenue East) was closed, and all business dealings and all records and files were transferred to the Bates facility, and the combined business operates under the name of the Bates Funeral Chapel, and remains locally owned and operated.

Michael Sytsma returned to the funeral chapel in March, 2001, after graduating from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, and completed his internship under the preceptorship of Joe Bates, and is now a licensed funeral director.

In May, 2003, the funeral chapel received the Service Business of the Year award for 2002 from the Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group.

As we proceed into the new millennium of business in Oskaloosa, the staff of the Bates Funeral Chapel includes Mike Sytsma, Joe Bates, Josh DeLong, Holly Cully, and Mari Job.