The following obituary was posted on the website of McEvoy Funeral Home, Paris, Tennessee, USA.

(http://mcevoyfuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2355360&fh_id=10396)

Marie L. Cate
(January 23, 1916 - December 17, 2013)

Mada Marie Lummus Cate Marie L. Cate, 97, died on December 17, 2013, in the presence of her family. She was born in Lee County, Mississippi, daughter of Robert and Mollie Carnathan Lummus, and spent the first 24 years of her life in the Tupelo area. After her high school graduation, having passed the state teachers' exam, she taught in that same school until she enrolled in Freed-Hardeman College, then at the University of Southern Mississippi. She then went back to teaching, a career she pursued for about five decades, earning her master's degree at Murray State University along the way. She taught elementary students and commercial students at Springville School, the Henry County High School, and the Vo-Tech School.

She survived a tornado, along with two of her sisters, that killed her parents and grandmother when she was 19 years old. A beautiful alto, she and her three sisters formed a quartet that sang at the Sunday afternoon singings all over northern Mississippi, and she was the one Vernon and Elvis Presley chose numerous times to sing with them when Mrs. Presley was unable to attend. She spent years in front of the Glee Club at SHS, loved to sing at church, and was likely to offer a song on almost any occasion. She was very active in the Springville church of Christ, Retired Teachers Association, and Friends of the Library, for whom she wrote a weekly newspaper column. Mrs. Cate also volunteered at the Henry County Medical Center and as an income tax preparer for numerous friends.

She married James L. Cate from Paris on August 3, 1940, and their 73-year marriage has been an inspiration to all who knew them. They became parents to three children: Anne (Danny) Bailey, of Saltillo, MS; Charles Thomas (Lillie) Cate, of Paris; and Joe Cate, who lived with and cared for them at their home in Springville. Six grandchildren include: Dr. Richard (Laura) Brown of Searcy, Arkansas; Melynda (Scott) Renner of Herndon, VA; Laura (Andy) Hogan of Frederick, MD; Tom (Becky) Cate of Paris; Dr. Ethan (Ashley) Brown of Hendersonville, NC; Christie Cate of Abilene TX. Fourteen great-grandchildren survive: Elinor Renner, Alyssa Renner, Alex Renner, Brooke (Brian) Hogan Miler; Lucas Hogan, Bobbie Hogan, Bethany (James) Brown Chavez; Olivia Brown, Ashton Cate, Addie Cate, Ansley Cate, Gillian Brown, Isaac Brown, and Silas Brown. Their great-great-grandson, Andrew Dean Miller, was born three weeks ago. Mrs. Cate is also survived by sisters-in-law Faye Cate Jones and Sarah Cate Scott, of Paris, and Martha Cate Berlin of Atlanta, and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive visitors from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, at the McEvoy Funeral Home and for one hour preceding the funeral service at the church. A celebration of Mrs. Cate's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20 at the Springville church of Christ. Interment will be at Poplar Grove Cemetery in Springville.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Red Cross, the Christian Relief Center, Freed-Hardeman University, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.