I am Gary W. Bateson, I was the 8th child born to George & Tillie Bateson. That was in Stillwater, OK. in 1951. I grew up on a small farm, northeast of Perkins, OK. We had cows, horses, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, cats and dogs. Even as a child I had chores that was my responsibility. To begin with, my job was to feed the chickens, turkeys, rabbits, cats and dogs.  This is me at 3 years old feeding the chickens.

When I was a child, I thought of what I would like to be when I grew up. My first choice was to become a preacher and tell of how my Mom took me to a revival at church where I was healed of asthma.  I remember my Mom taking me to the front of the church and telling the preacher that I had asthma. The preacher and just about everyone in the church laid their hands on me and prayed for me. The preacher then asked my Mom for my Asthma medication. She gave it to him, and he threw it away and said that I wouldn’t need that anymore. Well, he was right, I never had Asthma again. God had healed me. After that, our hometown preacher, Rev. Warren Gilchrist , called me his little deacon. He gave me the job of passing the offering plate. I also began singing solo’s in church. * I never became a preacher, but God continued to bless me through out my life. *
 

My second choice was to be a driver of a road grader. I thought that would be neat to make smooth roads out of rough ones. My Mom always said that she could drag a rooster down the road and do a better job than the grader man, so naturally I thought I could do it. * I never became a road grader man either*

And my third dream was that I would become a truck driver. 

My Dad was a truck driver in the 1940’s but my Mom never told me that until I became a truck driver. * I became a driver, but that was because I never found a job in my chosen profession. *

After I finished high school, I had decided to go to auto paint and body school. My brother John was a mechanic all his life, and my other brother Leon had a auto trim shop in Stillwater, OK. (Leon’s Auto Trim) and did vinyl tops, carpet, seat covers, etc. So I thought it would be pretty good if I did body work. I enrolled in Southwest Automotive School in Oklahoma City, OK. After I graduated, I tried to find a paint & body shop that needed help in the Stillwater, Perkins, Cushing area. But no one was hiring. So I went to work at Ralph’s Packing Co. in Perkins, cutting meat. I did that for about six months and Ralph came up to me and wanted me to go with one of the drivers that was retiring. He wanted me to learn the route and do deliveries until he found a driver. (I was there 6 yrs. and he never did replace me) All I had was an operators license , and I needed a Chauffeur’s license. I went and got the license I thought I needed. Later that year I got stopped for speeding, the trooper asked if I drove full time or part time, I told him I drove full time. He told me if I ever get stopped again, tell the trooper I only drive part time. It seems that to drive full time I needed a Commercial Chauffeur’s  license. (that was before CDL’s) He never gave me a ticket for speeding or the license, he just said slow it down a little, and as soon as I was old enough to get my Commercial Chauffeur’s , GET IT. I said Okay. During the time I worked at Ralph’s I met my future wife. We got a new preacher at our church, Rev. Charles Holland. He had a daughter named Phyllis, she was a cute redhead. So, I started dating her.  When her dad got called to another church to preach, I decided I better make my move. So I asked her to marry me and she said yes.  Also, during the time I worked at Ralph’s, my one and only most wonderful daughter in the world, Carrie was born.  She was daddy’s little girl.
Then I moved to the Tulsa area and went to work for Affiliated Foods Inc.. where I was told that I never had any experience with tractor trailers. (Ralph’s was bobtail delivery) So I worked loading trucks for a Affiliated for about 6 months. During that 6 months I kept going in and asking them to give me a chance in driving.  I finally told them, give me a chance at the road test and if I don’t pass I will load trucks for the rest of my life, but if I passed it you will have a driver that you desperately need.  I passed everything. 

Then I bought my own truck and leased on to Oil Capitol Transportation out of Tulsa, OK., Feb. 7,2006. through July, 2007 . Then I leased on with Central Marketing Transportation, Edinburgh, IN.   August 9,2007, Until April 19,2010. Then my truck caught on fire and burned up. I for Miller Truck Lines, LLC out of Tulsa, OK. for about a month, then I went to Rains & Sons Transportation, in Perkins,OK. in June of 2010.                                                                                                           Also I am an Independent Business Owner for Vemma Nutrition Company Out of Scottsdale, AZ. If you care about your health, please check out the        “Be Healthy” link.

I am now Silver Leader with VEMMA I received Silver pin, certificate, DVD and a CD.

This is Bill Mack, The Satalite Cowboy on XM-13(Willie’s Place) & me. Bill is the guy who wrote “BLUE”   ( Lea Ann Rymes) and “DRINKING CHAMPAIGN”   and many other songs.