Shorty’s Caboy Hattery

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34 – September/October, 2026

By Brittany Vermeer

When you look at Shorty Koger dressed in a crisp, collared shirt with starched jeans, a beaver hat shaped “high and tight” atop her temple, you’d be forgiven if you thought she descended from a long line of rodeo cowboys.

In reality, Koger’s family had nothing to do with horses. Her occupation as a master hatter, and the very full life that goes along with it, is something she carved out entirely for herself.

It all started in 1945 in Oklahoma City when Lavonna “Shorty” Koger was born. The youngest of four kids, she was an “unexpected” surprise. That’s actually how she got her nickname. “My nickname came from my two sisters and brother, because I was the youngest and a runt. I was the baby of the family born seven years after my sister. My two sisters are both gone, but my brother is 91 and still doing really well,” Shorty says.

Shorty is a beloved moniker she carried with her into adulthood which now adorns her business. And while she says people often accuse her of not knowing how to spell, the “Caboy” in her company name is actually slang for “cowboy.” Why she chose “Hattery,” instead of simply “Hats,” requires a bit more explanation.

Click here to read the complete article
34 – September/October, 2026