Lottye Choate Turns 95

McKENZIE (August 27) — On Tuesday, Lottye Choate celebrated her 95th birthday. As part of her birthday surprise, her daughter, Teresa Matlock, asked Facebook friends to send her mother birthday cards. Hoping for 95 cards to match her mother’s age, Matlock was able to surprise Mrs. Lottye with 173 cards.

Matlock said, “She said she loved her surprise party and getting 173 cards. She wants everyone who sent a card to know how much she appreciated the love and kindness that each card brought to her. One of her favorite cards came from Joel Summers and family. Back when Joel was a little boy and came to the dentist he hated the fluoride treatment, his sister was with him and she carried a switch. Joel would look up at her and say old bat. They now fondly call each other bat. He gave her a gift bag with her favorite chocolate. The bag also contained 95 bats.”

After Tuesday’s party, additional cards made their way through the postal service and the count is now up to 185.

Lottye Coleman Choate was born on August 27, 1929, to Grady and Mary Morgan Coleman of the Big Buck Community in Carroll County. She was one of seven children; four girls (Lottye, Rebecca, Geneva and Floy) and three boys (William, Johnny and Jimmy).

After graduating from McKenzie High School, she took a job at Ben Franklin dime store owned by James Williams. She also worked as a babysitter, picked strawberries and had other odd jobs. She went on to marry James Choate. She and James liked to fish, go on bus trips with her church, First Baptist. She loved going to the mountains and going to Cades Cove to see deer and bears.

In 1953, she gave birth to their daughter, Teresa. Around this time, Mrs. Lottye took a job with the telephone company in McKenzie, a job she held for 16 years. She later worked for Dr. Harold Russell for over 30 years as a dental assistant.

Mrs. Lottye has enjoyed her 95 years. Her birthday was filled with love from her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and countless friends.