Frances M. Moates died peacefully on Sunday, December 10, 2023, under hospice care for the last 4 years with family by her side, at Martin-Boyd Assisted Living.  She was the last of her generation of the Moser & Moates family and the 4th generation of Frances in her family.  She is now reunited with her beloved husband of 35 years, our loving, jovial, & wise father, Tom Moates. Mom never met a stranger and always loved her job as a receptionist beginning in the early 1970's with Gregg's Chattanooga Florist, Lea's Florist, & most of all, in 1983 was asked by Dr. Don Cannon & family to be their receptionist, where she remained until her retirement from Dr.'s Cannon & Cannon in 2013.

Frances Moser was born in Vonore, TN.  She was raised in a large & devoted family beginning her path as a Christian in their Methodist Church, learned family 1st & never turned a hungry stranger away.  She would later marry Tom Moates of Chattanooga in this very Church. Mom had a beautiful soprano voice where she began singing in the choir & often solos both in their Church & in the 1940's on a local Madisonville Radio station.  Frances Moser was a graduate of Vonore High School, played tuba in the band & was a tap dancer.  She left Vonore to work in Chicago for a year before coming to work & live in Chattanooga.

They were long members of Avondale Baptist Church, beginning in the E. Chattanooga & also E. Chattanooga Methodist & later Avondale Baptist's Hwy 58 area.

Frances lived life for her two daughters, F. Ann Moates Hiett of Nashville, TN, & Kathy J. Moates of Chattanooga, and Tom, her husband of 35 years, whom she still deeply loved & missed since his early death in Dec. 1992.  Her faith would be the building blocks of her foundation.  After marrying Tom, his job with the Southern Railway/Norfolk Southern of 42 years would begin their adventure of living in 5 states, including 2 cities in Alabama, all within 5 years, before coming home to Chattanooga. Frances's 1st step would always be to locate a church, be it Baptist, Presbyterian or Methodist.  She would join bowling leagues and bowled 300 on multiple occasions.  Mom is also known for her famous chocolate & peanut butter fudge.  She would start in October, buying over 60lbs of sugar & often more, to give to family, friends, & patients.  Each would be in a Tin that had to have a special pat on the lid before it was ready for gifting & never asking for a dime!

Frances loved & talked everyday how much her two daughters meant to her. Not a day passed, you were not loved & let us know she lived for us.  After her retirement she loved to go to Maine & New England in fall.  She loved to travel especially with her family on Florida vacations & later numerous other locations from Alaska to London & Scotland.  She was an avid sports fan of the Braves, UT Football & loved college basketball March madness! She could still stay up until 2:00 am watching games & be at work by 6am or make candy @ 2am.

Frances is preceded in death by her loving husband of 35 years, Thomas R. Moates.  Her parents Leslie & Gypsy Frances Redwine Moser of Vonore, her brother Maurice Moser of Knoxville & sisters Marie Kopanski, Hilda Parks both of Miami, FL, Doris Carter of Atlanta, & Betty & husband Grant Spencer of Chattanooga, Maury Moser, Jr. of Michigan, & Gene Spencer of Kingsport, TN. For the Moates family she was preceded in death by father & mother-in-law Ross P. & Myrtle Moates, sister-in-law Mozelle Hunter & R.L. Moates and their spouses.  They were all bonded by Braves Baseball keeping phones tied up during all the games!  Nephews, R.L. Moates, Jr., and Robbie Moates Lloyd of Dunlap, TN.  Mom is survived by her two daughters, F. Ann Moates Hiett of Nashville, TN, & Kathy J. Moates Hood & husband Ken Hood of Chattanooga.  Nieces & Nephews, Marry Thomas, Sam & Sheila Hunter, Chris & Carol Moser, all of metro Atlanta, Jan & Danny Thomas of Jupiter FL, and Jim Parks of Portland Oregan.  She has multiple great nieces & nephews & their children to young adults.

Graveside services will be held at 1:00 pm Friday, December 15, 2023 at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.  Honorary pallbearers will be Sam Hunter, Chris Moser, Jack Mason, Michael Petty, Jerry Jones and Tommy Daniel.  Family will receive friends on Friday from 10:30 am until 12:30 pm at Hamilton Funeral Home in Hixson.

The family has requested in lieu of flowers, donations of your choosing to Hospice of Chattanooga, Altltimerize research & cure organization, or a Breast Cancer awareness & cure organization.  The Susan G. Komen Foundation as our mother was a breast cancer survivor.

The family would like to express a special thank you to her in-home caregiver, Carol Smith and
Hospice of Chattanooga's nurse Kim Sweeton, to all the staff @ Martin-Boyd Assisted Living who truly loved & cared for Mom & her family.

Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremations Services, 4506 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343.