Reminiscing on life in Palmetto & Chattahoochee Hills, GA
A Neighborly Ramble with Carole Harper, Susan Roper, and Lisa Harper

PREFACE
Whether sitting at the kitchen table or visiting at the country grocery store, friends and neighbors often pause to catch up on the news of the day and share stories from the past. This “neighborly ramble” is a small-town tradition that builds a sense of place and binds us to our rural heritage.

In this oral history, Carole Harper and Susan Roper reminisce on their long-time friendship and shared experiences living in Palmetto & Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. Later in the story, Carole’s daughter Lisa joins in the ramble. Lisa and Susan share their experiences as friends and young mothers raising their children in the country.

• Carole (Lassetter) Harper, was born and raised in Palmetto in 1937. In 1965, she and her husband Thomas Woodie, and their two children Thomas Jr. and Lisa, moved to the Goodes Community, which incorporated into the City of Chattahoochee Hills in 2007. They were both civically involved in their community – Carole was a home-maker and an amateur historian; Woodie was a Mason and worked for Southern Bell. In 2022, the couple moved to Eatonton, Georgia, to spend their golden years near their daughter Lisa.
  
  
• Susan Roper was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, in 1955. In 1982, she and her husband Steve, and their two children Kristy and Ashley, moved to Church Street in Palmetto. Susan met Carole at Ramah Baptist Church and they developed an enduring friendship that includes a wide circle of friends and many shared experiences throughout Palmetto and Chattahoochee Hills.
  
  
• Laurie Searle moved to Chattahoochee Hills in 1997 with her husband Sam. She is a heritage journalist, amateur historian, and community activist.

ABOUT THIS RECORDING
This oral history has been divided into six parts to facilitate easier listening online. The transcription lists the duration of each part. The video and transcriptions are available at: www.chatthillshistory.com.  

READ MORE

• Oral History Written Transcription
• Carole Harper: Opening Doors to the Past
• Meet Birdhouse Maker Woodie Harper
• Benjamin T. Watkins Log Cabin: Gone but not forgotten

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Contributions by Carole Harper

• Dora Smith Journal
• From Monticello to the Hill Country: The story of Solomon & Edith Jefferson Freed slaves of President Jefferson

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FULL PLAY LIST OF VIDEOS

Part 1:   How did you come to live in Palmetto? (6 min)
Part 2:  How did you become interested in history? (3:30 min)
Part 3:  Meeting the neighbors. (6:45 mim)
Part 4:  Honoring Willis Menefee (5:30 min)
Part 5:  Contributing to the history of Palmetto and Chattahoochee Hills (10:17 min)
Part 6:  Other friends and neighbors (4:14 min)

WRITTEN TRANSCRIPTION - DOWNLOAD PDF
Reminiscing on life in Palmetto & Chattahoochee Hills, GA
A Neighborly Ramble with Carole Harper, Susan Roper, and Lisa Harper