In Loving Memory of Mama
Shirley Thompson Bates
December 11, 1938 – January 23, 2021
Lived 82 years
Highland Methodist · Lawrenceburg, TENNESSEE
"My mom signed my birth certificate, I signed her death certificate. She chose my first outfit, I chose her last one. She saw me take my first breath, I watched her take her last." Never take a moment for granted.
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Lifetime
The world Shirley knew
Family milestones in gold, history for context
1938
Born December 11
1939
Shirley was 1 when "Gone with the Wind" premiered in Atlanta
1947
Shirley was 9 when Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier
1959
Shirley was 21 when Barbie made her debut
1960
Son-Ken Brashears
1962
Son- Steve Brashears
1964
Shirley was 26 when the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
1968
Son- Fagan Erwin
1971
Shirley was 33 when Walt Disney World opened in Florida
1978
Daughter - Tami Bates Risner
1989
Shirley was 51 when "The Simpsons" debuted as a series
1998
Shirley was 60 when Google was founded
2004
Shirley was 66 when Facebook was launched
2015
Shirley was 77 when "Hamilton" opened on Broadway
2020
Shirley was 82 when SpaceX launched astronauts into orbit for the first time
2021
Passed away January 23, age 82
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