Paga 86 — Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 19, 1992

Frankie and Art Bates strike gold

By VERA HOLMAN

Ex-Terrace residents Frankie
and Art Bates will be
celebrating their 50th wedding
anniversary this Friday, Feb.
21.

Frankie and Art were married
in wartime Victoria in 1942
when Art was a Navy drill in-
structor and Frankie cashiered
at the 5 & Dime so she could be
near her sailor.

This love story began in the
beautiful Bulkley Valley, when
retired NWMP Constable Bates
arrived from .Kipling, Saskat-
chewan with his wife Myrtle, six
strapping sones (George, Bob,
Art, Dick, Gord and Gerry) and
one daughter, Beryl.

Art soon met Frankie, the
youngest of the three Noonan

girls. .
The Noonans were deeply
rooted in Telkwa, having

pioneered the area in the early
1900’s. Bill Noonan, Frankie's
dad, was the local CNR station
agent a’ gentle giant
leprechaun of Irish decent, via
Newfoundland. He had married
Annie Lever who became affec-
tionately known as ‘‘Nana or
“Nan .Noonan" to ali her
grandchildren and close friends.

Frankie’s two sisters, Molly
Hill and Lou Pipe were busy at
this time with their new
families. While Dad Nocnan
encouraged Frankie's athletic
endeavours and scholastic ef-
forts, her Mom made sure that
Frankie learned all the social
graces, from violin and piano
lessons to the latest dances such
as the ‘‘Black Bottom’? and
“Balling the Jack’’ to minuets,
polkas and squares! Frankie
and her Mom also spent hours
every fall walking the Telkwa
area hunting trails and hunting
deer and grouse.

Art had no trouble adjusting
from the flat prairies to the
mountains and valleys of the
Bulkley, Skeena and Kispiox
rivers, and his love -for the out-
doors led him to work close to
the forests and streams and ski
hills of the area. It didn’t take
long for teens aged Frankie and
Art to find music as a common
interest. In 1938 Frankie form-

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ed a band and the ‘Rhythm
Rollers’’ played for all the local
area dances and concert and
were solidly booked for func-
tions.

Suddenly, Art was drafted in-
to the Navy, and posted to the

‘Lower Mainland and Van-

couver Island. Frankie soon
followed him, and on February
21, 1942, became a. Navy
wife.”’ After the War, Art and
Frankie moved back to Telkwa
and went into community ser-
vice. Art kept taking on

. Challenges such. as. organizing:

the village’s political structure

in-law Bery] had created, played
on the frequently out-of-tune
piano at the Hall. Frankie also
spent years covering third base
for the Telkwa Ramblers and
could always be counted on for
a winning home run!

And, finally, after almost a
decade of ‘'trying” for a family
of their own, Margo Frances ar-
rived on the scene and soon
became the centre of attention
of her doting parents. That was
1951 with Art and Frankie liv-
ing at and operating the forestry
lookout on top.of Malkow Hill
miles from the closest towns

Frankie and Art worked, lived, slept and breathed

broadcasting at the Tall Totem Network for many

years.

— he was mayor for a while.
With brother-in-law Stan Hill
and a few friends he started a
volunteer Fire Department in
Telkwa, As a draftsman, he
kept busy designing and
building several commercial
buildings in the Bulkley Valley.

Frankie kept busy too!
Almost every youngster who
grew up in Telkwa in the ‘50’s
and ‘60’s can remember par-
ticipating in a concert at the
Teikwa Hall. She lovingly
taught them to “‘Tiptoe through
the Tulips’? and ‘‘Down-
shuffle-shuffle-tap, tap’? to
some parody Frankie and sister-

with only the bears for com-
pany.

With family duties at hand,
Frankie and Art built a home in
Telkwa overlooking the Eddy.
In the 1960's they moved —
house included — to Terrace
and both joined CFTK-TV.

They worked, lived, slept and
breathed broadcasting at the
Tall Totem Network for many
years. This versatile, creative
couple covered a multitude of
functions. Art entertained

viewers for 7 years as TK’s
weatherman, with the ‘‘Hat of
the Day’’ and a “Special Good-
night,” giving recognition to

_time for gardening,

Reg. 19.88

6"

thousands.

Frankie and Art accompanied
plane-loads of sun-seekers to
Hawaii, year after year where
the concerts of the early years
became the Hawaiian luau’s of
the 60’s. Even daughter Margo
learned to do a mean Tahitian
dance that put the local
islanders to shame. .

Then Art and Frankie retired
to White Rock in 1971 running |

an antique store on Marine
Drive. Art wrote a column for
the local paper and kept up his
interest in politics. He created
various new inventions and,
with a renewed love for the sea,
was instrumental in organizing
the Lower Mainland Yacht
Club. Frankie finally had some
bingo,
baseball and hockey on TV (or
better yet, at the Coliseum, to
cheer on her favourite players.)
And there’s always her music.
And Art’s always got a new idea
he’s about to patent, or is off
promoting the remote hiking
trails of Seven Sisters, or sailing
from White Rock to the Mex-
ican Border, or just sitting
around accompanying
Frankie’s rockin’ piano concer-
tos on his beat-up ukelelel

A tip of the hat to a fabulous
pair! May they enjoy their
golden years with as much
pleasure as they’ve given to each
and every one of us whose lives
they've touched, and made us
just that much richer.

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