Matt Bates

18 year old Matt Bates of Smithville died Thursday at Vanderbilt Hospital. He was a member of the Smithville First Free Wil Baptist Church. The funeral will be Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. David Young and Mark Kennedy will officiate and burial will be in the Bonham Cemetery. Visitation will be Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Boyd Culwell and his paternal grandparents, Homer and Juanita Bates. Survivors include his mother, Deborah Bates; his father Tony Bates; a sister and brother-in-law, Jennifer and Luke Judkins; his grandmother, Linda Culwell; a niece and a nephew, Faith and Eli Judkins all of Smithville. Several aunts and uncles also survive. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. The family has asked that donations be made to the Upper Cumberland Youth Camp.