Annie Lee Burt, a resident of Lafayette County, will be celebrating her 101st birthday on June 9.

Burt currently lives with her daughter, Effie, who became her caretaker after her mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2007.

“She doesn’t know who I am,” Effie said. “I know who she is, but to her, I’m just another person that comes to see her.”

According to Effie, her mother’s documents say that she was born in 1917, but they have always celebrated her birthday as being in 1919. Burt was only a baby during the time of the Spanish influenza pandemic, so she doesn’t remember much from that time. 

However, Effie said she believes that her mother’s good health and a happy attitude are what keeps her alive.

“I keep all of her nutrition needs met,” Effie said. “Knowing mom, she doesn’t smoke. To my knowledge, she never drank. She doesn’t eat a lot of meat. She gets sunlight when we go on drives. I look at it as if I’m now the mother and she’s my child. She’s good and happy. It’s all I could ask for.”

Annie Lee Burt has made it her life’s work to serve her community by helping to empower those around her. She has been a long time member of Mt. Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Taylor, and has served on missions, Mother Board, was a Sunday school teacher and even sang in the choir.

“She loves to sing,” Effie said. “Her favorite songs to sing are ‘This Little Light of Mine’ and ‘Call Him Up and Tell Him What You Want.’ We sing every day.”

According to Effie,  if she were to ask her mom to help her sing ‘This Little Light of Mine’ and start singing it, Annie Lee would jump in and sing it, too — and a phone call to the Burt household might just prove that true.