Eva Charlene Newland Coates Rockhold

Eva Charlene Newland Coates Rockhold, age 88, of Baldwin City, KS, passed away March 3, 2023, Wellsville Retirement Community. She was born March 31, 1934 in Lawrence, KS 909 Connecticut, in the home of her grandmother Mary Louise (Rockhold) Newland. 

She was the daughter of Blanche Elizabeth (LaDuke) Newland and Charley Otis Newland. 

As her father helped build Highway 56 she lived in Abilene, KS and Oberlin, KS prior to moving to Braymer, Mo in 1936. 

She attended South Victory School for two years and then the school consolidated to Braymer Public School, which she attended until May of 1945.

Her parents moved back to Kansas to be closer to their family and started their own farming operation.  She finished her fifth grade through eighth grade at Union District #34 in Douglas County, KS.  Her teachers at Union included her oldest sister, Rose. Charlene attended Baldwin High School graduating with the class of 1952.

On June 26, 1952 Charlene was united in marriage to Byron Adelbert “Junior” Coates in Enid, OK in the United Evangelical Church by Rev. Merton Zeisset.  His wife Inez served the wedding party iced tea and petite peanut butter sandwiches following the ceremony, Charlene would recall.

They were a farming family and enjoyed and endured both the good and the bad times.  They had a dairy cow operation, and also raised Angus beef cattle and chickens; therefore they always had their own meat, milk, and eggs.

As her children entered teen years she went to work at H.D. Lee Overall factory in Ottawa.  In September of 1964 she began working in the Baldwin School Lunch Program until May of 1968.  That summer she broke her leg and did not return to the school lunch room.  In March of 1969 she started substituting in the dietary department of Orchard Lane Nursing Home in Baldwin for Thelma Stephens and Lucille Reed.  After her youngest son was old enough she became the Dietary Manager under Don Runkle administration.  She continued in that position until May of 1994.  She later worked as Dietary manager in Gardner for the Beverly Enterprise’s.  She also worked for Royal Cleaners in Ottawa in 1997 and 1998.  She then became the cook for the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at Baker University until 2001 after that at Delta Tau Delta until 2005.

She cared for her quadriplegic husband, Junior, from 1976 thru his death in March of 1988 after a farming accident. 

On December 18, 2005 Charlene married Keith Rockhold at Worden, KS.  Keith and Charlene enjoyed fifteen wonderful years together traveling to Colorado regularly as well as Louisiana and several other states.  They also enjoyed many day trips just getting out and going. Keith also preceded her in death in 2021.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Rose Marie Cook, Mildred Couch; brother Leonard Newland; and two step sons, Dale Rockhold and Kenneth Rockhold.

She is survived by her children; David Coates and his wife, Gloria, Blue Mound, KS, Brenda Roberts and her husband, Kenny, Ottawa, KS, Don Coates and his wife, Diane, Ottawa, KS, Barb Goff and her husband, George, Baldwin City, KS, Daniel Coates and his significant other, Misty, Baldwin City, KS, stepchildren, Glenn Rockhold and his wife, Tammy, Pomona, KS, Cecil Rockhold and his wife, Cheryl, Ottawa, KS, Teri Kaub, Lees Summit, MO, Joann Williams and her husband, Larry; fourteen grandchildren; ten step grandchildren; twenty-seven great-grandchildren; ten step great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren

Funeral services will be Saturday March 11, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Worden Cornerstone Church, Worden, KS.  Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery, Baldwin City, KS. The family welcomes friends for a visitation service prior to the service at the church on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Ives Chapel Methodist Church, Centropolis Christian Church, or Worden Cornerstone Church c/o Lamb-Roberts-Price Funeral Home, P.O. Box 64, Baldwin City, KS 66006. Condolences may be sent to the family through www.lamb-roberts.com.

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