Douglas Cate

Douglas Cate, 76, longtime resident and businessman of Mineral Wells died December 5,2011 at his home following several years of various health issues. He suffered a major stroke November 26 and was taken by Careflight to Plaza Medical in Fort Worth returning home with hospice Novem- ber 30. Funeral services will be Friday, December 9 at 2:00 p.m. at Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner. Interment will be in Memory Gardens of the Valley with Frank Briscoe and William Eudy officiating. Visitation will be Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00. He was born March 10, 1935 in Roswell, New Mexico and moved to San Angelo as an infant where he grew up in his dad's paint and body shop. His family moved to Mineral Wells in 1951 where he worked at Texas Vitrified Pipe and Ed Lee Chevrolet. He also worked for Alproduco until 1956 when he had his first printing encountered on a flat bed press at the box factory, with printers ink in his blood he became an employee of Bill Bennett's print shop before winding up as shop foreman and head pressman for the Mineral Wells Index for 17 years. In 1985 he and his wife formed Mineral Wells Print Center, health issues forced his retirement in 1992. Doug and the former Tommie Watkins were married for 58 years repeating their vows June 27, 1953 and lived their entire married life in Mineral Wells. His passion was old cars and his pride and joy was a 1946 Ford coupe that he completely restored along with his daughter's 1971 red Malibu. But foremost was his love of a Motorcycle. Doug was a member of Santo Church of Christ, a member of the Woodmen of the World since 1953 and Farris Anderson Post of the American Legion, serving active duty at Fort Polk, Louisiana with the 49th Armored Division. He also volunteered for 13 years every Tuesday with New Haven Help- ing Hands until his health began to decline. Survivors are his wife, Tommie, a spoiled dachshund named Ginger, who was his constant compan- ion, one sister, Doris Keele, of Pasadena, numerous nieces and nephews, including David Holloway of Mineral Wells. He was preceded in death by his daughter and son-in-law, Connie and Steve Durham, his parents, John Douglas and Bessie Cate, by his father and mother-in-law, Ike and Bar- bara Watkins, three brothers and three sisters. Pallbearers: David Holloway, Travis Lowrance, Richard Keele, Kirby Keele, Terry Keele, and Don Brown. Honorary Pallbearers: Robert Earl Freeman, Clyde Coker, Bill Bennett, and Coffee Drinking Buddies.