Sara "Sallie" Bates Connell, 68, of Gainesville, TX, passed away on June 11, 2017, in Denton, TX, with her loving family by her side.

Sallie was born on November 19, 1948, in Lafayette, Louisiana, to Frederick and Katherine Bates.  After graduating high school in Lafayette, she attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.  Following her graduation, Sallie served in the U.S. Army as a registered nurse on various assignments including a tour in Korea.

After her service for the U.S. Army ended, she took on several roles throughout her nursing career which included positions in hospitals, schools, and public health departments.  She retired from the Denton County Public Health Department in 2012.

Sallie enjoyed retirement immensely and spent her hard-earned free time reading, working puzzles, and taking scenic road trips with her beloved husband.

She is survived by her husband, James "Jim" Connell of Gainesville, TX; son, Ronnie Fails of Corinth, TX; daughter, Jennifer Reynolds of Krum, TX; step-son, Kevin Connell of Bentonville, Arkansas; step-daughter, Kim Dubois of Fayetteville, Arkansas; brother, Marc Bates and sister-in-law, Annette Bates of West Columbia, TX; sister, Laura Evans of Puyallup, Washington; sister, Molly Powell of Richmond, TX, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many cherished nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Katherine Bates; her sister, Barbara Ruthel; brothers-in-law Walter Ruthel, Nick Powell, and Arlan Evans, and grandsons, Jared Fails and Wesley Fails.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 17, 2017 at 2:00pm at Bill DeBerry Funeral Directors, 2025 West University, Denton, Texas 76201.