ELDER LEE CHAMPION

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BIOGRAPHY

I am Elder Lee Champion, the eighth child of Dock Sr. and Henrietta Champion.  I’m a husband married to Jimmie Lee Daniel and we live in Sumter City, Georgia.  My goal is to own my own land, have children and make a living farming and provide for my family.  I intend to grow all types of vegetables and raise hogs and chickens.  We have twelve children and I want each of them to have a good education and be successful in life.

I teach my children to always go to school and be somebody, own your own, be self- sufficient, and I don’t want you working for the white man!  I tell them, “Sometimes the best you can, ain’t good enough”.  I take my children to all of their activities in school – basketball games, plays, talent shows and I am every one of my girl’s prom date and I usually chaperone the prom!  I taught them to keep their dresses down and their legs closed! I taught my sons to be hard-working, good men, that are providers and loving to their families.  

I made sure my children joined the church and went every second Sunday to Zion Hope.  I love to sing and encourage my girls to sing.  We often travel to various cities, performing as the Champion Singers.  

There is nothing I won’t do for my family. No hardship to great, no obstacle that can’t be overcome because I love them dearly.

I retired from farming now that all of my children are grown and gone.  I was able to leave them over 30 acres of land to call their own.  I am so proud as our family has produced teachers, preachers, barbers, seamstresses, cosmetologists, secretaries, nurses, singers, principals, superintendents, and they all are home-owners.

Our family has reproduced well and our legacy continues! Over a hundred grands, great-grands and great-great grands.  When we all come together- what a time, what a time!

A REFLECTION

Hi, I am Sandra Allen, known as “San”. As I reflect on my granddaddy Elder Champion, I remember some fun times on the farm.  I grew up in the house with my grandparents and like everyone else I had my share of chores also.  One fond memory was when cousins would come for the summer from New York.  My cousins from Smithville, myself and the New York cousins would all work in the fields. We did lots of things, we picked peas, butterbeans, okra, we graded okra, we fed the animals, swept the yard and even picked up sticks.  

We were excited about going to the field because we knew lunch time was coming when we could get on the back of the truck with the other hands and ride to the Kate Chapel store.  We saved our money so we could buy penny cookies, candy and ice cream.  I can still remember the smell of the store.  Although there was a nutritious meal waiting in the house, we cousins wanted to eat some bologna, cheese, cinnamon roll and to drink a Nehi soda like the workers.  After our lunchbreak we would go back to the fields.  At the end of the day we still had a few chores after eating, like collecting the eggs, shelling peas or butterbeans.  Sometimes daddy would walk across the field checking the produce and would bring back a watermelon.  He would split it open the long way, giving my grandmama the heart of the watermelon, then he would slice it up and we would eat it and see who could spit the seeds out the farthest.   Then it was time to get a bath, play inside with our Barbie dolls and jackstones until time to go to bed- to be rested for another day.