Annie Bates, who was born three years after the end of the First World War, and served during the Second World War, has died aged 101.
She was born in Banff in 1921 to baker Peter McKay and his wife, Annie, and brought up and educated in Macduff.
In her early teens, Annie studied Pitman’s Shorthand and passed her examinations in the autumn of 1935.
She then had a period working as a junior maid in a large household in Aberdeen.
When war broke out in 1939, Annie was sent to Birmingham and trained to work in the large munitions factories.
It was there she met and married Joseph Bates, and welcomed son, Michael, in 1950.
However, the couple later went their separate ways and Annie returned to her roots and family in Macduff.
Life on the land
She applied for work at Drummuir with farmer, George Anderson, and after a few years, they became partners and parents to David in 1953 and Andrew in 1954.
Between them, George and Annie ran the arable and livestock farm until 1974 when they moved to Keith.
It was there that Annie began work at the Strathbogie bakery, and, over 15 or so years, she became a familiar face in the community,
George died in 1989 and Annie sold the family home and moved to a smaller, pensioner’s house at the Den in Keith.
She had been involved in the Under 50s Club in the area when she was younger and in later years, enjoyed holidays all over Europe.
Friendship
On one trip to the south coast of England she became friendly with a nurse visiting from Japan.
The two kept in touch and Annie travelled to Japan to attend the nurse’s wedding.
Her son, Andy, said: “My mother was born in a time when there no commercial flights, only military aircraft and lived to see and also experience inter-continental travel.
“She was a great walker and loved to collect berries to make jam. Throughout her long life, the strongest medicine she ever had to take was paracetamol.
“She just kept going and enjoyed life. One of her greatest joys was spending time with her seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.”
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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