Doris C. Coats never left South Elgin. She was born there, attended school there, met her husband there and built her home there. Her father, Herman Zierke, helped start the Fire Department and served on the Village Board. Her only son, James, still lives there. “We have pretty deep roots in this town,” he said. Mrs. Coats, 89, died of cancer on Sunday, Sept. 5, in Sherman Hospital, Elgin. Born Doris Zierke in a house on Illinois Highway 31, she attended a one-room schoolhouse in South Elgin and graduated from the former Elgin High School. She married South Elginite Ellsworth Coats in 1937. “She was a west sider and he was an east sider, and there was always a little rivalry between the two sides,” their son said. They lived in an apartment, then built a home in 1950 on the east side of town. Mrs. Coats helped in the war effort by assembling timing elements for bombs at the Elgin National Watch Factory. She worked there for 13 years. She also balanced the books for her husband’s business, Coats Custom Kitchens, and even sanded cabinets. She cared for her grandfather when he became ill and then cared for her husband. Mrs. Coats loved cooking and gardening and covered her half-acre of land with flowers and vegetables. She also was a cat lover who often took in strays. In addition to her son, survivors include her sisters Gladys Palm and Shirley Lorenz, and two step-grandchildren. Visitation will be held at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Community United Methodist Church, 400 W. Spring St., South Elgin. A service will follow at 1 p.m. in the church.
