Charlotte Dotson turns 100

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
2020 seems to be the year for centennial birthdays, and Charlotte Dotson is yet another Newcastle resident reaching the milestone.
Born in Illinois on August 20, 1920, Dotson grew up with two brothers and two sisters. She and her siblings spent many hours playing, Dotson said, and they played “house” and “café,” where they’d serve each other food. 
“I liked to play hopscotch,” Dotson said, adding she enjoyed skip rope as well. 
She moved to Texas in third grade and graduated from high school in Pecos, Texas. She went to college in Alpine, Texas, at Sul Ross State University, which was The Sul Ross State Teachers College at the time, receiving her teaching degree.
Dotson’s passion for learning and education led her to a teaching career for 35 years. She taught in both Texas and Wyoming, where she moved in 1961 or 1962. She was the teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Lamont, Wyoming, for a few years. 
“I taught all the grades,” Dotson said, noting that her favorite was first grade.
Dotson then taught in Glenrock and, later, in Gillette. After retiring from teaching, she moved to Newcastle, where she occasionally substitute taught for Kathleen Tavegie. 
Before World War II, Dotson met her husband, Friend Dotson. He was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed by the Japanese in December of 1941, and Dotson said that the event was very frightening. Friend fought in World War II, and Dotson loved to write letters back and forth with him every month or so. She said that she greatly looked forward to his letters. 
The couple tied the knot after the war on April 5, 1945. Friend passed away in 1988. Friend and Charlotte had a daughter, Janet Perino. Perino and her husband, who has passed on, have a daughter, Jill, whose husband is Brian Pischke. Their daughter, Joslyn, is Dotson’s only great-grandchild. Perino also has a son, Jared Foy. 
Dotson loves spending time with her grandchildren and great-granddaughter, and she enjoys going to all of their activities. 
Another thing Dotson enjoys is reading, and her favorite author is Danielle Steel. 
Perino is proud of her mom reaching this milestone, she said, and Dotson is still doing well. The home health nurses who visit three days a week are shocked that Dotson is 100 years old. 
“I just admired her over the years,” Perino said, noting the impact her mother has had on her. Perino and her daughter, inspired by Dotson, both went into teaching. 
“She’s just always been such a caring person,” Perino said. “So many people in town still call her Grandma.”
Dotson still gives back to the community in so many ways, Perino said, and she goes to all the music concerts and anything else she can attend. She also showed up to give her support at the Weston County Fair this year and the junior rodeo. 
“She still likes to go,” Perino said. 
When asked what the secret to a long life is, Dotson replied with a simple and profound statement – one that she chooses to live by each day. 
“Just be happy and enjoy all the wonderful things around us. I’ve had many wonderful moments,” Dotson said.