Jill M. Bates

Jill’s service will be livestreamed below at 2:00 PM Friday, May 31, 2024:

Jill Marie Bates, age 54, passed away Thursday, May 22, 2024, at Essentia Hospital.

Jill Marie was born in Fargo, ND, on September 9, 1969, and was adopted by Gene and Carole Ritter Christianson when she was one month old.

She attended Landon Grade School and in 1979, she and her mother moved to Devils Lake, ND. In 1989, she and her mother moved to Fargo, ND, and she worked for Cashwise and Walmart for a short time. She then decided to go to Dakota College in Bottineau and graduated in Plant and Green House Management. She accepted a job at Gurney’s in Yankton, SD, and also worked for Dale’s Electronic. After leaving Yankton, she moved to Fargo and worked for John Deere Electronic Solutions for almost 25 years. In 2009, Jill was united in marriage to David Bates at the Christine Lutheran Church in Christine, ND. In 2022, she accepted a position at Sanford Health in the billing department.

Jill’s favorite pastimes were playing with her kittens, going to Minneapolis, watching football, and watching cooking shows on TV and trying the recipes, which she said she didn’t think they tasted very good.

Jill is survived by her husband Dave Bates of Fargo, ND; mother Carole Sharff of Christine, ND; father Gene Christianson of Langdon, ND; brother Kelly (Pattie) of Walhalla, ND; nephews Dalton (Kali) of Bathgate, ND, and Austin (Samantha) of Fargo, ND; nieces Haylee (Tanner) of Werven/Walhalla, ND, Tara (Kevin) Christianson of Merryville, WA, and Kayla Christianson of Washington; great nieces Rayna, Audie, Kennedy, and Evelyn; great nephews Hito, Camaron, and Caleb; a special cousin and sister Lana Balsdon of Langdon, ND; aunts Bernetta Ritter of Devils Lake, ND, Gloria Romfo of Langdon, ND, and Shirley Christianson.

Jill is preceded in death by her stepfather Carter Sharff; uncles Richard Ritter, Armond Romfo, and Gary Christianson; grandparents Oscar and Ina Christianson and Norris and Ovidia Ritter.