Purr Lee Choate

1889 - 1956  (66 years)

• Name	Purr Lee Choate
  Birth	12 Aug 1889	Hamburg, Fremont Co, IA, USA
  Gender	Male
  Death	20 Jul 1956	Delaware (DE)
  Burial	Slate Ridge Cemetery, Delta, York County, PA   [1]
  Person ID	I8	Christopher 1642
  Last Modified	9 Mar 2020

  
  

  Father	William Thomas Choate, Jr.,   b. 9 Nov 1863, WTC homestead, Sparta, Alleghany Co, NC d. 26 Jul 1953, Sparta, Alleghany Co, NC (Age 89 years)
  Mother	Amelia Edwards,   b. 19 Nov 1866   d. 2 Apr 1901 (Age 34 years)
  Marriage	25 Sep 1888	Alleghany Co, NC
  Family ID	F5	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Daisy Lee Beeker,   b. 19 Dec 1895, Steele Twp, Rowan Co, NC d. 15 Feb 1962 (Age 66 years)
  Marriage	13 Nov 1913	Gap Civil, Alleghany Co, NC
  Children	1. Infant Daughter Choate,   b. 14 Apr 1915   d. 14 Apr 1915 (Age 0 years) + 2. Purr Lee Choate, Jr.,   b. 23 Mar 1916, Gap Civil, Alleghany Co, NC d. 18 Jul 1960 (Age 44 years) + 3. Amelia Etta Choate (m.King),   b. 16 Nov 1917   d. Mar 1991 (Age 73 years) + 4. Charles William Choate,   b. 6 Dec 1918, Sparta Alleghany Co, NC d. 23 May 1987, Bullhead City, Mohave Co, AZ (Age 68 years) + 5. Oleta Harlan Choate (m.Wells),   b. 4 Apr 1920, Mt. Ulla, NC d. 7 Mar 2002, Port Saint Lucie, Saint Lucie, FL (Age 81 years) + 6. Thomas Turner Choate,   b. 17 Jun 1921, Whiteford, Harford Co, MD, USA d. 12 Sep 1999, Sebastian, Indian River Co, FL (Age 78 years) + 7. Clara Marie Choate (m.Stickland),   b. 18 Aug 1922   d. 13 Aug 1990, North East, Cecil Co, MD (Age 67 years)   8. James Arthur Choate,   b. 1926   d. 1934 (Age 8 years)   9. Infant Daughter Choate,   b. 1931   d. 1931 (Age 0 years)   10. Infant Daughter Choate,   b. 1931   d. 1931 (Age 0 years) + 11. M.J. Choate (m.Kay) + 12. Richard Porter Choate,   b. 18 Apr 1935   d. 19 Jun 1995 (Age 60 years)
  Family ID	F4	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	11 Mar 2021

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 12 Aug 1889 - Hamburg, Fremont Co, IA, USA Marriage - 13 Nov 1913 - Gap Civil, Alleghany Co, NC Death - 20 Jul 1956 - Delaware (DE) Burial - - Slate Ridge Cemetery, Delta, York County, PA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Purr Lee Choate Wedding Picture

  
  

  Documents		1889_Purr Lee Wedding License Wedding License and Justice of the Peace document for the Marriage of Purr Lee to Daisy Lee Beeker
  		1889 Purr Lee Obituary 1889 Purr Lee Obituary - listing siblings and children

  
  

• Notes

  Purr Lee [i40] was born 23 Mar 1916 when his father William Thomas [i18][b.1863 ] was farming in Hamburg, Iowa having moved near his older brother Solomon Sabret. His family moved back to Independence VA for his mother's health when he was 2-5 years old. His mother died when he was 11 and his father remarried when he was 14. Purr Lee travelled to Hoquiam WA when he was about 18 and worked as a lumberjack for three years. His older cousin Hayward Letcher [i307][b.1877] also appears to have worked in Hoquiam since he marries Bettie Jennings, a girl born in Hoquiam. Purr Lee returns home from WA and works with his father (he appears with his parents in the 1910 US Census). Purr Lee and his father traveled to trade in mules and horses. During their travels they would stay overnight at various homes. He met Daisy Lee Beeker at her home where they stayed over night near Mt. Ulla, 80 miles south of Sparta. Her parents had a large farm and store. Purr Lee, age married Daisy Lee Beeker 13 Nov 1913. Sometime before 1917 he began working as a rural mail carrier for the U.S. Post Office Department in Sparta. Their first child was born in Sparta and died in infancy. Purr Lee Jr., Amelia Etta, and Charles William were born in Sparta. Purr Lee and Daisy Lee's other children were born while they were living in MD. Oleita was born in Independence VA (about 10 miles north of Sparta NC) on a visit back home. Prior to 1920 the family moved to Castleton near Darlington MD. Purr?s three cousins, from his Uncle John Oscar Choate [i33] b.1852], Haywood Lectcher Choate [b.1877], Nanie Mae Choate (m. Reid Monroe Edwards) [b.1881] and Robert Lee Choate [b. 1886] eventually all moved to Harford Co, MD. It appears that initially Purr Lee was farming in Castleton MD but later took a better job as a rural mail carrier in Whiteford MD. The family kept the farm and had a tenant farmer, Mr. Truitt (a likely relative/cousin from his Aunt Sarah Jane [i35][b.1857] who married John Truitt in 1873). The farmer worked and lived on the Castletonfarm with his wife and daughter. They raised dairy cattle, corn, hay, and chickens. They sold the milk and grew garden crops for themselves. Purr Lee had to provide his own car to do the mail route and was well paid at $175 per month. His route was fifty miles of dirt road, in winter time he would complete the route on horse back. Sometime between 1930 and 1935 the family moved to Bay Road (39°41'30.42"N 76°19'57.85"W) in Whiteford MD. They rented the house from John Bay. The kids went to Slate Ridge High School. This area was known for its roofing slate and the Choate kids were known for swimming in the quarry. Lucille Lavigne traveled to Whiteford when she was 16 to meet her future in-laws (Thomas Turner?s parents). She recalls Purr Lee as "always the gentleman with his white jacket and white Panama hat". Purr Lee, Daisy Lee and, James Arthur are buried in Slate Ridge Cemetery, Delta, York County, PA. Near Purr Lee and Daisy Lee's stone is marker for "Daughters of PL and DL Choate 1931-1932". (Note: Whiteford MD and Delta PA are adjacent border towns.) Property Transfer reported in the Delta Herald Times June 30, 1932 "Purr L. Choate and wife to G. Robert Delp and wife, tract or parcel of land in the Fifth District"

  
  

• Sources

  [S2] General Public, Find a Grave {findagrave.com}, 74333491. Findagrave.com Memorial ID 74333491 has the following information: Headstone photo: NYes Headstone text: name, birth&death years, spouse Person Picture: No text on findagrave.com: None Findagrave Family Member list - Caution - These are frequently a member's input (i.e., not fully documented). Suggested "Family Members" include: 1 parents, 6siblings, 1 spouse and 8 children listed