Fannie Lee was born in Virginia in 1814. She was born into slavery and served as a house servant and at the time had one child. She was sold without her child a boy a named Charles. It is passed down that she gave Charles one of two cookies she had prepared for trip to Georgia to prevent him from crying as her new master led her away. She never saw Charles again.

Once in Griffen, Georiga she had a daugher named Jane and a son named Allen. Once again she was sold into Alabama and was forced to leave Jane behind. Jane was about 12 years of age when Fannie was sold in Georgia to some bidders out of Alabama. Dr. William Cunninghan of Burnt Corn bided $1500 for Fannie but was later outbidded by Enoch Salter of Green Street area of Burnt Corn, Alabama. He paid $2000 for Fannie and $200 for her young son Allen.

In Alabama, Fannie was forced to work in the fields but later her master, Enoch Salter rented her out to Francis P. Clingman, who ran a Boarding House in Burnt Corn and used her as a cook. She was required to walk from Green Street to Burnt Corn every day. She returns often to find little Allen hiding under the house trying to escape abuse from his master.

In the final days of slavery, Fannie met and married Joe Lee, by the traditional of "jumping the broom" ceremony. The had a baby girl named Nellie shortly after the slaves were freed.

When slavery ended, Fannie continued to work for the Clingmans and had brought Nellie along with to work at the Boarding House. During the post-civil war era, some plantation owners sought to retain "free labor" by force or other means such as night-riders who blacken their face and beat ex-slaves. Fannie related an incident that happened to her when the night-riders attacked her and began beating her one night. She recalled each time one of the night riders hand went up and down to hit her, she noticed a glistening of his ring in the darkness. Sometime later while working at Clingman Boarding House she recognized that ring on the finger of one of the diners at the boarding house. There were traces of soots still on ring worn by her ex-master Enoch Salter She reported it to her current employer, Mr. Clingman and she was never attacked again.

Fannie never forgot her daughter Jane she was forced to leave behind in Georgia nor her son Allen she left behind in Virginia. She works diligently to find her daughter she left in Georgia and son that was left in Virginia. With the help of the Clingman, she finally contacted Jane and later they were able to go to Georgia to meet her.

The Clingmans' daughter, Nancy, was married to D.M. O'Brien, the Head Master and teacher who taught at Burnt Corn Academy. Their children, Bettie and Mary, taught Fannies's young daughter Nellie to read, write and do arithmetic. While a teenager, Nellie passed the State teacher's exam and was certified to teach in Alabama. With her earning she brought five arces of land in Burnt Corn.

Fannie was a devout churchgoer. She joined the Bethany Baptist Church as a slave and a member until her death. Bethany Baptist was organized in 1821 and slave made up a part of their congregation until after the civil war and then they became separate churches. It suspected that slave was required to attend church services to attend to the slave owner kids. Around 1840, they build the first Bethany Baptist Church where both slaves and slaves owner worshipped. After the civil war and when slaves were freed, circa 1872, the white people built new church closer to town and move most of graves to the new location and sold the old church to the "colored members".

Fannie lived frugally, saved, and purchased forty acres of land. Fannie enjoyed an exceptionally long life, and apparently remained in good health for many years; she died on April 27, 1918 at the age of 104 and is bury in the Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery.

Fannie Lee
1814 - 1918

Husband1:
Unknown McCarter

Husband2:
Joe Lee born: 1795 - ?

Parents:
Slave Mother and Father

Children:
Charles
Jane McCarter
Allen McCarter 1862- ?
Nellie (Lee) Marshall 1864 -1963