Mary Ann Lupton interview with Sally Beauchamp Bennett and Janette Bennett Harris

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This interview begins with Sally Beauchamp Bennett talking about celebrating Christmas for a week and other southern Christmas traditions. Bennett and Janette Bennett Harris also talk about celebrating Thanksgiving and food traditions. At 7:00, she talks about fishing with her grandfather and recalls stories about the farm she grew up on. At 11:05, she talks about growing up during the Great Depression era and mentions that the Boo weevil impacted her fathers farm. She then talks about going to Christmas traditions conducted by their church. At 17:27, Bennett and Harris talk about Easter traditions. At 21:02, she talks about corn shucking, wheat thrashing, and smoking meat. At 27:15, Bennett and Harris talk about traditional foods eaten on New Years Day. At 35:20, Bennett and Harris talk about attending school in their communities. At 45:56, they talk about games they played at school. At 51:21, they talk about Christmas traditions again, including caroling after dinner. They recall various carols they would sing and methods of singing. The interview concludes with the women discussing ice storms, weather-related disasters, and giving a dog stitches. Sally Beauchamp Bennett (1889-1982) was born in Fulton County, Georgia, to William and India Everett Beauchamp. She married Milton Chandler Bennett (1882-1963) and had four children. One of her children, Janette Bennett Harris (1914-?) was born in DeKalb County, Georgia. She married Russell Harris and had at least one child, Anne Janette Harris Dell (1949- ). She married Tim Dell and had at least one child, Tracey Michelle (1970- ). A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us in a position to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, and bias is reflected in our descriptions, which may not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materials accurately. Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment. We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created. Additionally, our work to use reparative language where Library of Congress subject terms are inaccurate and obsolete is ongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.