BIOGRAPHY
I am George Franklin Champion, Sr., lovingly known as “Papa Dock”. I was born in 1878, the tenth child of Louis and Ann Tatum Champion, who were both born into slavery. Our family resided in the Sumter County. My mother was a member of the Tatum Family of Plains, GA. I met Henrietta Scott at an early age and we later married on December 19,1897. I was 19 and she was 18. Twelve children were born to our union. We settled in the Sumter City area, also known as Smithville. Some say I was a quiet and gentle man. I say I was a God-fearing man. I instilled the love of God into my children. My family and I were members of Zion Hope Baptist Church in Sumter City, where I served on the Deacon Board for several years. My first love, Henrietta, died on December 29, 1941. We were married for 44 years. I married twice after Henrietta went home to be with the Lord. I went home to glory on October 7, 1964 at the age of 86. My Champion offspring, keep God first in your life. Pray together and stay together.
A REFLECTION
I am Myrtice Champion Johnson, the 11th child of Elder Lee and Jimmie Lee Daniels Champion. My daddy, Elder Champion, was the 8th child of Papa and Grandma Henrietta. Grandma Henrietta passed away in 1941, seven years before my birth of 1948. As I can remember, Papa lived on “The Other Place” with his 2nd wife, Lila Bell. We called her Ma Bell. I really didn’t get to know her that well because she didn’t seem to be very friendly. Our daddy referred to his dad as Papa, so all of us children called him Papa as well, while our mama, Jimmie Lee, called him Father.
I remember, as a child, that Papa would walk from The Other Place with his walking stick to visit with our family every week. He would play with us younger children by letting us “ride the horsee” on his leg. I used to love riding horsee with Papa. He also told us funny stories. Papa loved to chew “Prince Albert” chewing tobacco, in the red can with a picture of Prince Albert on it. I loved that tobacco smell on him.
Daddy would take us to visit with Papa and Ma Bell and sometimes we would walk to their house. At that time, they lived in a real large house that was unpainted. The house’s kitchen was separate from the rest of the house; it was another little house all to itself. Later, Papa built another house; it was white with green trimmings and had a nice front porch. We loved to pick Papa’s apples, pomegranates, figs, pears, peaches and other fruit. He allowed us to eat as much as we liked and we would take some home. He also had lots of pecan trees. We played with his ducks, geese, turkeys and other birds.
After Ma Bell’s death, Papa married another lady from Leslie, GA. Her name was Sweetie so we called her Ma Sweet. Ma Sweet was just as her name, sweet. She was very sweet to the whole Champion Family. Papa and Ma Sweet loved to watch their favorite programs and the news on TV. It was so funny to us that Papa and Ma Sweet thought that the television characters were inside the TV and that the characters could see them through the TV. It was for that reason, Papa and Ma Sweet would never undress in front of the TV. When Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, their favorite news reporters, told everyone good night at the end of their program, Papa and Ma Sweet always told them “Good Night!”
Papa never stopped driving his mule and wagon as his mode of transportation. When he didn’t walk, he would drive his mule. I remember seeing him and Ma Sweet, every Saturday, in the wagon pulled by the mule going to town in Americus, GA. He even parked his mule and wagon on the streets of Americus as late as 1964. Americus was about 15 miles from his home.
Papa was a Deacon and a life-long member of his family’s church, Zion Hope Baptist Church located in Sumter City, GA. It was a very sad day for our family and me on October 7, 1964, two days after my birthday, when we got the news of Papa’s death. Papa is buried at Israel Cemetery across HWY 19 in front of Zion Hope Baptist Church.
CHAMPION FAMILY REUNION 