PLEASE NOTE: dates on headstone are INCORRECT!
Amos was born March 30, 1894
and he died December 30, 1955

Incorrect dates kept on memorial to keep duplicates from being entered.

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Amos married 1st Ruth Ethel Adwell on October 29, 1912 in Sangamon County, Illinois.
When Ruth passed away, he married 2nd Beulah F. (Shipley) Hall. Buelah's sister, Loretta, later married James Gates, the son of Amos and Ruth Ethel.

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Published in the Illinois State Register
Springfield, Illinois
Wednesday, October 30, 1912

GIRL'S MOTHER GAVE CONSENT
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Police Prevent Wedding of Young Couple-Believed Girl Was Not of Age-After Delay Ceremony Was Performed.
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- Police officials believed they had stopped an elopement when they took into custody Amos Gates of Pawnee and Ethel Adwell of Rochester. The young lady's mother was notified and told Chief Underwood that she did not care if her daughter married the young man since she wished so much to do it.
- As a result the two were married by C. H. Jenkins, probate judge, in his office yesterday afternoon, and are happy.
- They were on their way to Taylorville when the police stopped them, attracted by the extremely youthful appearance of the girl. She gave her age as 18 years and he said he was three years her senior.

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Although many sources show his birth year as 1889, Amos was actually born in 1894. Many of the sources stating his birth year as 1889 are sources which he himself entered his year of birth. Perhaps he never really knew the truth? or he was hiding his real age for whatever reason.

His mother's first husband, Henry Flynn, didn't pass away until 1891, making the argument he was born in 1889 illogical.

I have a birth record for Amos. The birthdate is in fact March 30, 1894 in Pawnee, Sangamon county, Illinois. Son of Permelia Tweedy and G.W. Gates. Although the transcribed name on this record through the Sangamon County website states the name as Amons Everett Gates, the names of the parents on the record is proof that this is indeed Amos Gates. It's possible his name MAY have suppose to have been Amos Everett, but perhaps he never really knew his real whole name or there was a miscommunication between the parents and the person writing the name on the record.

I've also found a newspaper clipping stating his name as Amos Everett on the birth announcement of his son, George. This makes me believe he was born with the middle name Everett, but at some point became Edward. I have changed his Middle name entry on this memorial to just E due to the fact that it may have been both at different times. Even though Edward is on his headstone, I feel "E" should be adequate as I believe he was born with the name Amos EVERETT.

Also, although his headstone states his death as Dec 30, 1956, this is an error as well. Published dates of his obituaries prove this fact.

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Published in the Illinois State Journal
Springfield, Illinois
Saturday, December 31, 1955

GATES, AMOS EDWARD Sr.--Of 2604 S. Pasfield St., died at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30, 1935 [1955], in St. John's hospital, age 66. Survived by wife, Beulah; four sons, James, Jess and George, all of Springfield, and Amos jr., with U.S. army, stationed at Centralia; six daughters, Mrs. Irene Schaive, Mrs. Eva Headrick, Mrs. Mary Shiffer, Mrs. Patsy Sablotny, all of Springfield; Mrs. Nellie Ferguson, Waterloo, Ia., and Mrs. Rose Groth, St. Petersburg, Fla.; a stepdaughter, Mrs. Ruby Knauss, Springfield; three half-brothers, Charles and Rufus Flynn, both of Springfield, and William Flynn, Litchfield; a half-sister, Mrs. Bertha Jacobs, Springfield; 19 grandchildren and a great-grandson. Remains to Bisch Memorial home. Announcements later.

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Here is his obituary, published in the Illinois State Journal (Springfield, Illinois) on Sunday, January 1, 1956:

Amos E. Gates Sr.
- Funeral services for Amos Edward "Bud" Gates sr., of 2604 S. Pasfield St., will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Bisch Memorial home. Dr. Raymond B. Knudsen will officiate and burial will be in Oak Ridge cemetery.
- Mr. Gates died at 2 p.m. Friday in St. John's hospital, after having been in ill health for several years.
- He is also survived by a daughter, Mrs. Eva Headrick, of Waterloo, Ia., and a stepdaughter, Mrs. Ruby Knaus, of Springfield.