Marcus E. Bates Jr. 74 of 342 Summer Oaks Drive Prosperity formerly of Spartanburg died Wednesday May 25 2005 at the Palmetto Baptist Hospital in Columbia.Mr. Bates was born on September 18 1930 in Converse SC a son of the late Marcus Erwin Bates Sr. and Esther Brown Bates. He was a graduate of Cowpens High School and Cecils Business College and was a US Army veteran serving in the Korean War. He was of the Lutheran faith and was a member of the Whitney Masonic Lodge #264 in Spartanburg.Mr. Bates is survived by his wife Myrtle Marr Bates of the home; a daughter and son-in-law Cheryl B. and Lee Reynolds of Gaffney; three sons and a daughter-in-law Keith E. Bates of West Columbia Jeffrey W. Bates of Spartanburg and Phillip M. and Devlyn Bates of McKinney TX; two sisters Jacqueline McIntyre of Weaverville NC and Ann Sanders of Greenville; a brother Billy Bates of Hendersonville NC; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a sister Leticia Parrish.Graveside funeral services were conducted at 3:00 P.M. Saturday at the Newberry Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be may to the American Cancer Society c/o Helen Beebe 181 Tailers Trail Leesville SC 29070 or to the Baptist Hospital Hospice Palmetto Baptist Foundation PO Box 11304 Columbia SC 29211.Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.Whitaker Funeral Home Newberry is assisting the family.