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Oral Histories - Dot and T.E. Stephens

Dot and T.E.StephensDorothy and Thomas Earl Stephens live in the Rico Community in Chattahoochee Hills, GA. They met at a Cake Walk (a community social where cakes were awarded as prizes) in 1941 in the building that is now Chattahoochee Hills City Hall. They married in 1942 and raised four children – Elaine, Tommy, Nina, and Nancy.

Dorothy is known to family and friends as Dot. She was born June 15, 1923 and grew up in Newnan, GA, in a modern home that had indoor plumbing, electricity, and rest room facilities. Dot moved to Rico with her family in 1941.

Thomas Earl is known to family and friends as T.E. He was born July 15, 1921 in Rico and was raised on the family farm on Upper Wooten Rd, east of Rico Rd. As an adult, T.E. worked as a pipe fitter and later joined the Seabees, the Construction Battalions (CBs) of the United States Navy, and served during WWII.

Dot and T.E. have been civic leaders in the community most all of their adult lives. They both served as officers in the Rico Civics Club and helped the community by raising funds and support to pave the roads, install telephone service, make improvements to the
community center, and raise funds for students to go to Washington D.C.

What's Included in this Oral History

Project Index

The following index serves as a table of contents for the transcription and includes links to the audio tracks of the Oral History.
To listen to an audio track, click the Track Number.

Topic

Audio Track
About the Oral History Project (1:50 min) Track 1

Jefferson Hotel (2:50 min)
Dot visits T.E. during his furlough at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA.

 Track 2
Meeting at the Cake Walk (1:15 min)
Dot and T.E. meet at a Cake Walk in Rico.		 Track 3
T.E. Joins the Service (1:50 min)
T.E. served in the Seabees, the Construction Battalions of the U.S. Navy.		 Track 4
Wedding Day (1:20 min)
The couple marries at the courthouse in Newnan. 		Track 5
Birth of First Child (0:45 min)
T.E. receives an announcement while in a foxhole.		 Track 6
Living in Rico (6:00 min)
Dirt roads and primitive lifestyle.		 Track 7
The House (1:45 min)
Making a house a home.		 Track 8
Rico Cemetery (1:50 min)
Another cemetery called Piney Woods.		 Track 9
Dancing, Egg Boilings, and Practical Jokes (2:40 min)
Having fun as young adults.		 Track 10
Rico Civic Club (3:50 min)
Doing good works for the community.		 Track 11
Political Leaders (2:10 min)
Candidate forums and building bridges		 Track 12
Advice for Young People (1:00)
Be kind to each other.		 Track 13