On November 11, 1927, a young woman named Agnes Wolf gave birth to a little boy in the Reading Hospital and named him Carl. She was poor and couldn’t take care of him. After several years of living with Francis (Jim) and Mabel Bates, at age 12 the court asked him one question, “Do you want them to be your parents?” So, Harold Leon Bates was raised as their only child while living on a farm at Green Point.
He attended school there and one time when he played hooky, he got a licking from his dad. Harold admits “he was a little bugger.” They moved to Ono and he attended Lincoln School and then Jonestown High. At age 17, he quit school, went to Philadelphia with a friend to join the United States Navy. His friend backed out, but Harold signed up. After 10 weeks of training in Samson, NY, Long Island, NY, and Long Beach, CA he was shipped to China aboard the USS Springfield. After his stint in the Navy, he got a job at Bethlehem Steel as a laborer.
Harold met Naomi “Pearle”, his future bride. Her father died when she was 2, so she was raised by her Grandma Barnhart who lived in Ono. Her mother, Elta remarried Charlie Eckert. Her step dad bought Pearle a house where she lived with her grandma. They were married September 21, 1946 in the Ono UB Church by Rev. Melvin Patrick. Their first child, Ron was born in 1947.
Harold quit at Bethlehem Steel and went into the restaurant business with Pearle’s mother and step dad at the Eckert’s Blue Star Restaurant in Grantville. The business didn’t last long as Charlie died at age 52 and Elta at age 59.
Harold went back to Bethlehem Steel. They had three more children: Cynthia in 1950, Robin in 1955 and Jeffrey in 1964.
He has 5 grandchildren: Rhonda, Torrey, Melissa, Jason and Tyler and 8 great grandchildren: Alexandra, Asher, Reese, Delaney, Maggie, Campbell, Holly and Dara.
At one point in his life, Harold was contacted to see if he wanted to meet his mother. He immediately was interested to meet her to see if she was saved. He bought her a Bible and Pearle and he traveled to Reading. She corresponded back and forth with Pearle. A couple years later, he was asked if he’d have the service for his mother. His son, Ron accompanied him as he’d never seen his grandmother. There were only 3 people in attendance but Harold shared a short graveside service.
When Bethlehem Steel went on strike, Harold drove a truck for Harvey Eckert delivering lime in Lebanon, Berks and Perry counties. Then, once again, he went back to Bethlehem Steel.
Ono Church was the first church to sponsor a Boy Scout troop. Although Harold, himself was never a boy scout he served as scoutmaster for Troop 22 for many years. Lenny Gibble, Henry and Kenny Shuey, Alfred Keiser, Leroy Emrich, George Wentling, Kenny Yordy, George McFeaters, Virgil Mack, Gary and Ronald Young, Ernest Tompson, Terry Binkley, Kenny Anspach, Wade Mack, Robert Boyer, Charles and Donald Moyer were some of his scouts.
When Harold turned 40, the family took a trip to Florida to visit Ron who was stationed at the Air Force Base there. They stopped in Georgia for a break and Jeffrey who was tired of traveling, got out of the car and took off across the highway. When they went to leave Florida, they forgot the dog and had to go back for it.
Harold gave his heart to Jesus at the age of 12 at Vacation Bible School. He taught Sunday School at Jonestown Bible Church to 9-10 year old kids. Over the years, he served on the elder board. He along with several other people attended classes at Harrisburg School of Bible. Dave Hahnlen’s father, Harold, was one of the teachers along with Fred Lowery and Frederick Kreiser. He served as an interim pastor for 3 years at the Union Gospel Tabernacle. It is currently the Lebanon Valley Bible Church. When Pastor Jim Ober came to pastor, Harold stayed and served another 25 years.
Harold’s favorite Bible verses are Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God.” And also II Corinthians 5:24, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
His advice for Living: read and believe the Word of God, live by faith, live a life to honor God and love your neighbor as yourself.