When the Great Depression hit, it hit everyone—but it hit hardest in the rural South. Ella's father was put on part-time work, and the family had no money for school tuition. Through the kindness of Dr. Stewart and the labor of "chopping cotton," all ten Kelly children would eventually earn their high school education.
Ella describes surviving the Depression through faith and community
The Transcript
[05:00] And then the Depression. And if you didn't live through a Depression—did y'all? If you...
All right, Papa lost his job. No, Papa was put on part-time, and he went to Everton to have a full-time job. And he hurt his wrist.
When I was a junior, we didn't have any money much at all. Dr. Stewart's house—you know, his house was up there. I don't know why people were so nice to the Kellys.
Dr. Stewart was just great. He let—we had to pay tuition then to go to school. It was not a county school, it was only high school. And we paid a dollar at Christmas, and a dollar to begin, and a dollar a month.
Well Dr. Stewart would let Papa have the money, and then they'd chop—all these little kids—and go out that were big enough to chop cotton and pick cotton and whatever—to pay it. That's the way we went to school. And it wasn't easy.
That's the kind of doctor he was. And I don't know—he couldn't have done it for everybody—but I don't know why he did it for us. You know, you just see God's hand in everything that happened.
The Cost of Education During the Depression
- $1 — Tuition at the start of the school year
- $1 — Tuition at Christmas
- $1/month — Monthly tuition payment
- Payment method: Children worked the cotton fields to pay off the debt
In 2026 dollars, $1 in 1932 would be approximately $22. The annual tuition of ~$12 would be about $265 today— still a significant burden for a family with ten children and no regular income.
Historical Context: The Great Depression in Rural Georgia
The Great Depression (1929-1939) was devastating for Georgia. Cotton prices collapsed from 18 cents per pound in 1929 to just 5 cents by 1932. Farmers who depended on cotton suddenly couldn't make ends meet.
"Chopping cotton" meant weeding the cotton fields with a hoe—backbreaking work under the Georgia sun. Children as young as 8 or 9 were expected to help. The Kelly children worked the fields to pay off their school tuition.
Georgia closed over 1,300 schools during the Depression, affecting more than 170,000 children. Teachers' salaries were often cut or went unpaid for months. The fact that all ten Kelly children got high school educations was remarkable.
Country doctors like Dr. Stewart often extended credit to families during hard times, accepting payment in crops, labor, or whenever families could pay. This community support system helped rural families survive.
People Mentioned
Graylee Kelly (Papa) Dr. Stewart
Places Mentioned
Lithonia, Georgia Everton