Lillie West, interviewed by M. H. Ross at Blairsville, Georgia, 1974-06-24 through 1974-06-26

Partial Transcript: M. H. ROSS: -- now speaking of J. O. West being buried in Hickory Grove --

Segment Synopsis: Lillie west talks about her recent 86th birthday and describes visits she has had from people who want to interview her about how people lived when she was younger.

Subjects: Birthdays; Interviews

Partial Transcript: M. H. ROSS: Until you got your eyes a little tired, you were reading The New York Times every week too.

Segment Synopsis: M. H. Ross and Lillie West talk about newspapers that Lillie West used to read as a way of educating herself. They discuss Lillie's uncle Wash Mulkey, who she says was the first dead person she ever saw, and her other uncles, whom she describes as being very short. She talks about the heights and weights of various other family members.

Subjects: Families; Newspapers; Overweight persons; Stature; Uncles

Partial Transcript: M. H. ROSS: Let me take the opposite characteristic. Who was the jolliest person?

Segment Synopsis: West describes her family members who were the most cheerful and fun. She talks about her uncle who fought in the Civil War and deserted from the Confederate army. Ross asks West to name the members of her family who most embodied different characteristics such as hypocrisy and principle.

Subjects: American Civil War (1861-1865); Families; Military deserters; Veterans

Partial Transcript: M. H. ROSS: -- you're telling about the -- after J. O. West died and you moved up from --

Segment Synopsis: West talks about cotton farmers she knew when she was young, including members of her own family. She describes the practice of selling cotton and talks about her family's lack of land ownership.

Subjects: Cotton growing; Cotton picking; Land tenure

Partial Transcript: LILLIE WEST: -- and two years later he died.

Segment Synopsis: West talks about the illness and death of her husband, J. O. (James Oliver) West, and describes the financial and labor challenges she faced after he died. She talks about farm work that she and her children undertook.

Subjects: Farm life; Lungs--Diseases

Partial Transcript: LILLIE WEST: And they told him that it was the Negroes down there, one old Negro man, he was honest --

Segment Synopsis: West talks about a neighbor who objected to her paying an African-American man to work on her farm. She describes work that the man did for her and buying him groceries.

Subjects: African Americans; Farm life; Race relations