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Lula does not know how old she is, but she was a few years old when the war started. Her mother was Hester Kelly born in Baltimore and sold in Georgia. Her father was Wilbur Kelly but she does not know where he was born. Both parents were owned by Mr. Wilbur Kelly and worked in the fields on his plantation in Fayette County. Lula is the ninth of eleven children, all her brothers and sisters are now dead.
The Kellys were good to their slaves, gave them plenty to eat and took care of them when they were sick. There were seven children in Mr. Kelly's family, and after the war Lula's parents stayed on the plantation, and as a young girl Lula helped nurse the Kelly children. When Mr. Kelly went to the war there was an overseer who had charge of the slaves and according to the older members of the family, he was meaner to the slaves than Mr. Kelly ever was.
Lula recalls in the olden days how the "ole witches" got on the darkies' chests while they were asleep. If the witches wanted to kill them they died right there in the bed, but if not, they just "rode 'em." She does not remember "right clear" about the conjurin', but she knows folks were conjured and had to pay some one to "drive off the conjurin'."
One of her superstitions is if you stump your toe you must turn completely around for good luck, if you don't turn around you'll have more bad luck.
Lula and her husband, George Pyron, board in a Negro home, and George does odd jobs to support them.
Lula Pyron Slaton Alley Griffin, Georgia September 23, 1936
Lillian Ramsey (By J. R. Jones)
