Farewell to a friend by Morgan Doran, Ph.D., UC Cooperative Extension, Napa and Solano counties
Feb. 5, 2021 was a very sad day for our livestock the ground, Joe was desperately defending his property and community and many other communities throughout the buildings, but felt he was losing the battle. Suddenly friends region. Col. Joe Gates sadly passed away on a Friday morning and family, including some from the local fire district, arrived after a tough fight with severe COVID-19 symptoms. Joe was without being asked to set a safe perimeter around the ranch admitted to the hospital during the last days of January and saving the ranch, all the buildings and animals. When Joe was soon diagnosed with COVID-pneumonia. The following described the experience a few days afterwards, he was brought days were a roller-coaster ride with Joe’s condition and his to tears at how the community came to help. That exemplifies family’s emotional well-being. Unfortunately Joe’s blood the support Joe has garnered from the community, which oxygen levels never stabilized despite heroic efforts by his only comes from the incredible support Joe has given to the medical team. community. An ariticle in the Vacaville Reporter does a good job Most of us in the livestock community and youth describing the many ways Joe supported his local community livestock programs best know Joe for the candor and humor beyond all he did for the livestock industry. he continuously injected into his work as an auctioneer; as a Joe Gates, may you rest in peace and may your soul forever representative for Cattlemen’s Livestock Market; as a meat live among us. While your passing creates a deficit in our cutter in the business he operated, Gates Ranch Meats, with hearts, we find solace in the many ways you’ve enrichened our his family; and as a member and treasurer for the Napa-Solano lives. We pray for the strength that your wonderful family will Cattlemen’s Association. Joe knew how to work a crowd, he need to endure your sudden and unbelievable loss. knew how bring out the best in people and knew how to get people to open their wallets to support the causes of so many community auctions he led. He won the hearts of many, including my own. Joe was a dear friend of mine and made sure to Anaplasmosis is an infectious parasitic disease in cattle, spread check in with me throughout my own ordeal with primarily by ticks and blood sucking insects like mosquitoes. The cancer and chemotherapy treatments. Joe took my killed anaplasmosis vaccine protects cows and bulls of any age cause to his men’s group and assured me that his from infection and requires a booster given 4 to 6 weeks after the initial vaccination. Find out below if you should order the vaccine! group was praying for me and my recovery. One of many indelible memories I have of Joe was at the Dixon May Fair livestock auction I attended Do you NO YES shortly after I started my job as Livestock Advisor own cattle? with UC Cooperative Extension nearly 20 year ago. When I arrived I saw Jeff Dittmer in the crowd, a familiar face I recognized early in my career. Jeff nodded his head toward me and I made the mistake of waving to Jeff, during the auction. My gesture Do they You don’t need it, to Jeff didn’t go un-noticed by Joe and he took graze in but should still areas where the opportunity to introduce me to the crowd as NO YES Anaplasmosis support the Solano County’s newest UC Cooperative Extension is a Livestock Advisor, waving his hand at an auction and California problem? not making a bid. While Joe served me a big piece Cattlemen’s (Consult your local of humble pie, my lesson was learned and I quickly Association veterinarian to find out) understood how Joe runs his auctions with no mercy and unrelenting humor. Do you want to prevent The other indelible memory I have of Joe is his pervasive and infectious positive spirit he exuded, the effects of the disease even during difficult times. Joe had faith and inspired including severe anemia, faith in others. I remember after the recent LNU weakness, fever lack of fires, Joe described the situation while the entire area NO appetite, depression, YES around his ranch on English Hills Road burned to constipation, decreased milk production, You jaundice, abortion and don’t possibly death? need to
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March 2021 California Cattleman 51
