Anna Pearl McCarty Lott

Anna Pearl McCarty Lott was born on June 18, 1926, in rural Saluda County near Batesburg, South Carolina, the youngest child of Cassandra (Cassie) Goff and Middleton (Mid) McCarty. She grew up on the family farm and attended Batesburg-Leesville High School before leaving in 1943 to work as a battery-filler in the mill at Vaucluse. There she met J.M. Lott, whom she married in 1945. Together they raised three children while both worked as loyal employees of the Graniteville Company. Anna advanced from battery-filler to weaver and later cloth inspector, even mastering early computer technology for inventory management in the cloth room. She proudly earned her high school GED in 1979 after her children were grown.

Anna remained deeply connected to her Batesburg roots and often shared vivid stories of farm life during the Depression. She had a lifelong love of writing poetry, and her family continues to cherish her collected works. A devoted Christian, she and J.M. helped establish the Baptist church in Eureka, where they worshipped for thirty years. Anna taught Sunday School and held warm memories of the girls she instructed. In 1991 they joined First Baptist Church of Vaucluse, where she remained active for three decades and especially treasured her friends in the Bethany Fidelis Sunday School Class. She found joy in singing familiar hymns throughout her life, continuing even in assisted living during weekly services.

She delighted in her role as Nanny to her grandchildren and many others, always happiest when holding the babies. When J.M. developed Parkinson’s disease, Anna cared for him with steadfast devotion, both at home and during his time in the nursing home. After his passing, she channeled her energy into sewing for the Little Dresses for Africa mission, collaborating with church friends to create more than two thousand dresses for orphans in East Africa.

Anna is survived by her children Larry Lott (Billie Ann), Loretta Farrow (Bill), and Pam Burnett (Don); six grandchildren, Julie Mills (Greg), Nathan Lott (Elizabeth), Micah Lott (Laura), Erin McFadden (Rob), Anna Crocker (Than), and Adam Burnett (Kayla); and nine great-grandchildren, Lydia Bridges, Turner Lott, Malon McFadden, Julia Lott, Maverick Redd, Cason Burnett, Amelia Burnett, Theodora Lott, and Augustine Lott. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-four years, J.M. Lott; her brother Paul; three sisters, Ruth, Rosa Lee, and Inez; and two half-sisters, Eva and Elsie.