The Twins, Byron and Ralph

About two years prior to Thomas Jefferson Bates' death, his wife gave birth to twin sons, Bryon Raymond and Ralph Robert. Due to the difficulties of raising a young family by herself, Flora was forced to give up the twins.

The Boy's Girl's Aid Society placed Ralph his twin brother, Byron, and their brother, Emery, in The Boy's Girl's Aid Society in Portland, Oregon. The Society placed the twins with a family who had a farm out in the Prosperity or Progress area out of Portland, Oregon. When the twins started to school, the Ross family gave them their last name but did not legally adopt them.

After high school, Byron became a member of the Inland Boatman's Union, CIO in Portland, Oregon. He worked on the boats that went between Oregon City and Astoria. One of the boats was The Bonneville, an old stern wheeler.

When Byron met Carmen, he was working as a dispatcher in the Inland Boatman's Union, CIO office. She worked in the CIO Newspaper office. The name of the newspaper was "The Labor Newsdealer". Their offices were located in the Govenor's Building in Portland, Oregon. Byron and Carmen started dating and later married.

Byron and his family lived in the Portland / Estacada area.

When the United States entered the 2nd World War, Byron left his dispatcher's job and joined the International Longshoreman's Union.

Byron and Carmen divorced on June 2, 1953 in Oregon City, Clackamas, Oregon.

Byron was a longshoreman in Portland, Oregon at the time of his death. He was treated at Bess Kaiser Hospital for cerebral hemorrhage and died at 9:50 p.m. on November 2, 1960. His funeral was handled by the Little Chapel of the Chimes, Portland, Oregon.

Source: Daughter, Mary Flora (Bates) Ross Dicintio.

**** After high school, Byron's twin brother, Ralph, became a member of the Columbia River Pilots Association and, later, was a member of the Riverboat Firefighters. They responded and were on-call for fires along the waterfront.

Ralph's second wife, Margaret, had a child (Carol Jean) from a previous marriage.

Ralph was a Fire Boat Pilot for the City of Portland at the time of his death. His death was accidental. He was working on an auto in the driveway of his home when the jack slipped pinning him underneath. He was treated at Physicians Surgeons Hospital in Portland, Oregon. He was 51 years old when he died. His funeral was handled by The Little Chapel of the Chimes in Portland, Oregon.