The following autobiography of Bula Emma Campbell Harris (Born 2 May 1880, Died 13 Oct 1975) was transcribed by Debbie Sterbinsky with the assistance of June Yarbrough Harris. The original handwritten document is in the possession of Bob and June Harris. Surnames have been underlined and typed in bold face font to assist with family research, and page numbers have been kept in accordance with the original manuscript.

L.E. & Emma Harris

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This is the autobiography of Bula Emma Campbell Harris written on Jan 1^st 1975 as she remembers, daughter of William Jefferson and Alcenith Caroline Adams Campbell.

Lived most of my life in Stanton Tennessee with the exception of four years spent in Dancyville and Asbury communities – joined the Stanton Methodist at an early age and worked constantly at various projects. Served as president of Women’s Missionary society- taught the beginners also primaries and adult Sunday school classes. All of this was a joy to me. I love my church and do not like to miss a Sunday and do not unless caused by sickness of myself or some members of the family.

It is a pleasure to do something for someone and this is scattered all along the way. I want to help those who are in need both white and black. This was so typical of my late husband in his long years as a merchant. He never overlooked helping those who were less fortunate.

Back to the Campbell family – we had a happy home - four girls and four boys. I am ninety four and the youngest child and the only surviving one and will be ninety five years old on May 2^nd 1975.

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As I look back over the years I want to stop and say Thanks to God for a Christian father and mother where prayer was made daily for their children.

We had a humble home but that didn’t matter as there was plenty love. Our family consisted of four boys and four girls. Boy’s names were Thomas Earnest, Robert Oliver, William Edward & George Otho, Girls- Lucy Elizabeth, Cora Alvesia, Eula Lee and Bula Emma.

In my many years of service to the church my happiest is the fact that all of my children are Christians and taking their places in the church. Of course we had sorrows along the way. My father died age 63 years and my mother was 72 years. My oldest brother died age 23, never married, the second oldest Robert Oliver age 15 years. William Edward, age 35 years, and George Otho, 73 years at time of death.

William Edward had four children, Edward Guy, Glen Otho, Ople Marie and Willie Lee, their mother was the former Fannie Lu Mc Mahan.

George Otho had three children, he was twice married. Otho’s mother is Lela Fincher Campbell and William Scott and Alice Caroline are Alta Scott Campbell’s children.

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My daddy was a Mason and the old Masonic lodge was in the upstairs of the old schoolhouse which is between the present Baptist and Methodist churches. This is where I went to school. Sometimes they would have party and ice cream suppers and the young folks would have a good time playing tag and drop the handkerchief and other games. As I have already said the old school house is still there standing and bees have made honey there as long as I can remember in the attic. Mr. Pony Meux was always at the party and would buy ice cream for all the children which was a rare treat in those days.

Mr. Meux was no put on, he owned a lot of land out past our old place and we would see him pass (which is now owned by Marshall Bledsoe) by riding an old mule with blind bridle just any time. He would always wave to us. His wife’s name was Josephine but we all called her Mrs. Joe. In later years she was partially paralyzed and her son Dr. George Meux had Mickle Maxwell to drive her out every day. Mickle was our neighbor.

As I have stated George was a doctor and when Nell was a baby she cried most all the time so we had him to come in to see her and this is what he said. Miss Emma your child is not sick she needs nourishment so he gave me a

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formula and that stopped the crying and from that time on she was a bottle baby.

Back to my church which I said was a joy for me to serve I did not mention vacation Bible schools and Easter egg hunts in which I always participated. Mrs. W.H. Maxwell would always help. She was so capable. We would come home exhausted on hot summer days and we would stop at the edge of our grove to rest. She was a wonderful neighbor always sharing as was the Ed Taylor family across the street and the Flem Williams just down the street from me which is now owned by Mr. George Yarbro. My neighbors were unexcelled, never too busy to help. Mattie, Nellie and Lola Williams are the only surviving members of a family of seven. I thank God for these wonderful neighbors which meant so much to me especially when and after the death of our young son Leibig Elcan Harris not quite six years old born Dec 21, 1910 died Nov 21 1916.

Mrs. Emma Bertha Wallace and Mrs. Henryette Stuart are the only surviving of Maxwell family. We were always very close as I worked in Mr. J.S. Rawlins store when Mr. Maxwell was his bookkeeper. Mrs. Maxwell had a millenary shop in the upstairs and I later worked part time and was paid accordingly. Mr. Farris Freeland and I were the clerks in the dry goods side and Mr. Will Claxton and Noble Hunt in the grocery side. Everett Coppedge also worked a short while on dry goods side.

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That was during the courtship with my husband who would come in real often and slip a letter in my hand and I would slip one in his and then have a little chat and of course that night he would come out to see me. I could hardly wait.

My mother’s youngest sister Susan Emma Adams was twice married; her first husband was Ashley Wilson, son of the Rev Calvin Wilson of the Spring Hill Community, last J.D. Middlebrook. She had one son Ashley Wilson who died young. Mr. Will Maxwell married his daughter Callie and from this union they had four children, Dottie, Sophia Neil, Mickle and Lucille. His second wife Albertine Mc Mahan had three children Emma Bertha, Henrietta and Catherine.

I did not mention that my Aunt Sue was twice married her last husband was Mr. J.D. Middlebrook. They lived next to the Williams family. After his death my sister Cora lived with her and worked for Mrs. J.S. Rawlins. Sometimes after that her house burned and she stayed with me for a while and then went to live with her niece Mrs. W. H. Wellons and that is where she died.

Lucille Maxwell was in school at the Memphis Methodist Hospital and was killed when she was crossing the street she was studying to be a nurse. This was a great shock to the family.

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I was sick at the time and I remember well how hurt Mr. Maxwell was. He came over to my house for comfort.

I just opened the old family Bible and found the information of my brother William Edward who was born May the twenty third eighteen seventy two. He died in Stanton August eighteenth nineteen one, left four children Edward Guy, Glen Otho, Ople Mare and Willie Lee. Willie Lee the youngest son died a few weeks ago. He lived in Philadelphia, PA had no children. His wife Alma wrote me all about his illness and death also sent card with the Lord’s Prayer on it – along with the letter. Brother Will, his wife was the former Fannie Lee Mc Mahan. He was full of fun and liked to sing which he did in the Old Stanton Methodist Church. His voice was so full that people would look up when he started singing.

He was the son of William Jefferson and Alcinith Caroline Adams Campbell. He was brought up in a Christian home and when about thirteen years old joined the Asbury Methodist Church of which Bro Leatherwood was pastor of the time.

His father who was a brave Confederate soldier was slightly wounded in the left shoulder at the battle of Shiloh. My father’s sister Harriet was a great talker and would tell so many things about the Civil War.

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My mother and father where married and by whom:

William Jefferson Campbell of Fayette County Tennessee and A.C. Adams of Haywood County Tennessee on the 24^th of May 1866 at home of Mrs. Elizabeth Adams by the Rev. A.R.

Wilson. Mrs. Adams was my grandmother and my grandfather’s name was Thomas they had a number of children. Can’t name them all so won’t try. My mother Alcinith Caroline of course was among them. Among the many joys of my life as a child was that we would all go to Grandmas, eight of us for the week end. I sometimes wonder if it was a joy to her. At the time

of my brother Will’s last illness just before he died he requested that they sing “How Firm a foundation” which was an evidence of his faith in God. He was buried in Stanton Cemetery May 23, 1872 near father and other loved ones. My mother Alcinith Caroline was still living. The Rev. Barton was our pastor at the time. He (Barton) never married lived out from Memphis Tennessee and Miss Jo Nash was very fond of him and went to visit him and said she could hardly find his house for the undergrowth around it.

This is Jan 10^th when I raised my window shade this morning and looked out I saw we had had a big snow. I remember this date many years ago when my mother had a lot of little chickens she always started early my father pushed the snow back from the coop and fed them.

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There are little things in my life that I remember. But the biggest and happiest thing that I remember is when I said yes to my husband six months before we were married on Feb 14^th, 1907. My sister Eula married Nov. 1^st, 1905 to Richard Wynn at my mother’s home. We married in the Stanton Methodist Church Feb. 14th, 1907 as I have already said.

We had a big wedding which we called a rainbow wedding as our attendants all dressed colors of the rainbow. The attends were my sister Cora, Maud Nolen, Edith Gurganus, Sallie Claxton, Mattie Caldwell and Emma Perry and I have always regretted not having my sweet-sister Eula matron of honor who sat by my mother, her first child Lorene was quite young at the time and that is why I couldn’t have her. Farris Freeland and Mercer Holland where ushers. Mrs. Will Ware, wife of Dr. Will Ware played the wedding March – Mrs. Carrie Nash made my wedding dress which was white crape with long train. My sister Cora made my second day dress which was changeable yellow and green (Taffeta). The Rev. Yates Moore performed the ceremony which was his first. Mr. Harris brother Tom and sister Bessie attended the wedding and spent the night with Mrs. Jennie Culbreath (their cousin) who lived just down the street from Mrs. W.H. Wellons where we boarded the first three years – Mary Lou and Margaret were born there.

Little L.E. Jr.

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and Nell were born across the street in the house now owned by Mrs. Alma Stewart.

As I have stated Farris Freeland was usher at the wedding who later married Mable Coppedge they had three children Marjorie, Joe and Tom. Marjorie works now at the Peoples Bank along with Eleanor Naifeh and Mrs. Jennie Woods.

This is Jan 8^th Mary Lou’s birthday 1975. We went to Jackson Tennessee this afternoon to see about income tax. We had other sorrows but the greatest was the death of our young son Leibig Elcan who was born Dec 21^st, 1911 died Nov 20^th 1916.

As I have stated my wedding dress was white crape material bought from Hatch__ and Lyle in Brownsville. I later sold it for the small sum of ten dollars to a negro girl who married Squire Garrit. They were big folks among the negros of that time. I have always regretted this as I think my children would liked to have seen it.

Things I remember as a very small child my father and family moved from Dancyville, Tenn to our new home now owned by Marshall Bledsoe, one mile from Stanton. There were eight of us. Thomas Earnest, Robert Oliver, Lucy Elizabeth, William Edward, Cora Alvesia, George Otho, Eula Lee and Bula Emma (this where I lived when I married). I will be ninety five this May 2^nd, 1975 and the only one living

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The Harris Family

Our only son Leibig Elcan Harris was born Dec 21^st, 1911 and died Nov the 20^th, 1916. This was the greatest sorrow of our lives. Our many friends were such a comfort to us couldn’t do enough. Bro Swift was our pastor at the time our neighbors the Maxwell and Taylor families will never be forgotten for their kindness and sympathy. Then the Gibson and Morton and Nash family who lived our several miles in country sent food and sympathy. These will always be remembered with love. The Flem Williams family was always doing nice things for us and their sympathy was expressed with food and love.

Margaret has just come in brought birthday cards as tomorrow is my nephews Edward Guy Campbell’s birthday Jan 20^th, 1975, 81 years old, will send him a card with three pretty kittens on it.

Back to our friendship with the Maxwell family, I remember we would used to take basket lunches just what we would have for dinner at home, out to a nice clean place near Muddie Creek where my mother’s sister Amanda Burroughs husband had had a brick kiln. We would enjoy the lunch and fellowship. And just across Muddie creek were the Fed Caldwell & Jim and Bob Caldwell Families we enjoyed so much. When we were school children and the creek would get up so high they could not cross it so they would

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spend the night with us and moma would get up early and fix us a basket lunch, she was a wonderful mother. The Fed Caldwell’s had a large family – Uncle Bob and Aunt Nan as we called them had no children but adopted a relatives daughter whose name was Addie. I enjoyed spending weekends with them. Just before bedtime they would have Addie read the bible and uncle Bob would pray. Then Aunt Nan would turn down the covers. She would always put an extra blanket at the foot to keep Bobs feet warm. Later Addie married Robert Armour. They had one son whose name Robert or Claud not sure which.

This is scattering but just things I remember. Mickle Maxwell after the death of his mother Callie went to live with his Aunt Mrs. Ida Edwards. He later married Ida Marie can’t think of her maiden name. He had two daughters Ida Marie and Laura Catherine. They were at his funeral he was buried in Stanton Cemetery which I attended.

Back to my grandmother Elizabeth Adams, she was born and reared at Alamo Tennessee, daughter of old Dr. Austin. There were several Drs. in that family as was in mine, my brother George Otho and Dr. Edward Guy Campbell.

My mother always hoped to have a preacher in the family but that did not materialize but she did have a first cousin who was the Rev. W.W. Adams who served the Stanton

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Methodist Church two different times. His wife was named Mary and she was a great story

teller, and it was said by some of the members that he made her do all the work. She worked with the beginners with me. Think I have several newspaper pictures of him. Nell has just come in and said don’t forget to mention Old Charley the horse that I rode to town when I worked for Mr. Rawlins. One evening when I was leaving town a big cloud was coming up and Mr. Will

Mc Mahon who was postmaster at the time called to me hurry which I did and unfortunately Charley stumped his toe and I fell head first over his head and landed on the ground that was just in front of Mr. Henry Gilliam’s place now owned by Mrs. Woods.

One reason for my hurry was that Mr. Harris was coming out to see me that night rain never stopped him that was a few weeks before we married.

Nell and I were at the cemetery yesterday and got these dates from my father and mothers tombstones. William Campbell born 1837 died 1898. Alcenith Campbell born 1841 died 1913 and little L.E. born Dec 21^st 1911 died Nov 20^th 1916. This had already been recorded in the Harris family Bible.

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The man Mr. Lyle from Humbolt is going to bring my husband’s tombstone today Jan 22^nd, 1975. We will all four go to see it installed. We are just home and are so pleased with it. We think it is beautiful and is right by our only little son Leibig Elcan Harris who as I have already stated born Dec 21^st, 1911 and died Nov 20^th, 1916.

We were so proud of him his daddy was counting on him to be his helper both in the store and at home this was the greatest sorrow of our lives but – God knew best to take him from this troubled world to live with him in heaven. It took us a long time to be reconciled. Our night – The Maxwell Taylor and Flem Williams were such a comfort to us.

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May 2^nd, 1975 my ninety fifth birthday and Margaret had all of us at her home for a good dinner, she also had Nell Campbell and Ruby Campbell and our good old time friend Nellie Caldwell Short. I did not mention Eleanor Ruth Green Dean. She had planned to bring her mother Nell but – she was sick and could not come and we were all so sorry. She did send me a beautiful hanging basket with geraniums blooming in it. I received a lot of birthday greetings but – by request no presents. Margaret baked a small birthday cake with ninety five candles and brought it in for me to blow out and to our surprise I blew out most every one of them at one puff so everyone had a good laugh. Nell suggested that we take Gilliam Jones a big slice so we did and he was so pleased that we remembered him. He is our lifelong friend of the family is ninety one years and almost blind. Has to have someone help him around which is sad.

Sunday May 4^th, 75 has passed it is now 8:30 in the evening, sorry I cannot go to church but Mary Lou always brings me a bulletin or I get the news. Our pastor Bro Tripp and the members of the Administrative Board honored me on my ninety fifth birthday and hoped I would see more happy years for life is sweet to me.

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I am passing time away making pot holders to give to my relatives and friends they are useful and all seem to appreciate them. I do not like to sit and do nothing all the time. It does not hurt my eyes. I am so very thankful I can see so well and I thank God always for that.

Sunday May 11^th, 1975. This has been a long gloomy day rained most of the day which is Mothers Day Nell gave me a beautiful little beaded purse along with a pair of stockings.

Margaret gave me a couple of books to put pictures in. I think I can soon fill them up Mary Lou is so faithful about taking care of the ulcer on my leg I am thankful for her.

Mr. Williams W. Bond 91 a retired attorney died at 4 am yesterday at Haywood Park General Hospital. He was a lifelong neighbor of my sister in law Mrs. Fannie Lee McMahon Campbell and Miss Sallie Mc Mahon. Sorry Elizabeth Phillips is in Methodist Hospital in Memphis and has had surgery. Her husband Dan worked at the Peoples Bank then Stanton Bank for many years before moving to Brownsville. He now works at First State in Brownsville. He was honored by the Bank personnel at the Gold Room not long ago which I attended.

Margaret wanted a picture of me to put on her mantle which she would call her conversation piece so she had Mr. Jo Dickinson who is an artist to draw a picture

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of my sister Eula and I in a buggy with Old Charley the horse I used to drive to work when I worked for Mr. J. S. Rawlins. It is real cute.

Wed May 14^th 1975

I have cut a newspaper clipping from Commercial Appeal of Mrs. Harry S. Truman on her 90^th birthday. She looks well in the picture and friends say she is alert and greets visitors at the door with the assistance of a walking stick. I have always admired her as I did her late husband.

Had a pretty birthday card today from my good friend Mrs. Louise Bedford who was my neighbor but now in Care Inn Convalescent Home in Indianola Miss. Her daughter Roena lives not far so she can see her often and look after her.