Sarah Bennett celebrated her 100th birthday on November 2 at her Madison home with her family and friends. Mrs. Bennett and her late husband Jessie had 10 children, all of whom were in attendance.
Sarah Bell Hart-Bennett was born on November 2, 1924 in Madison County. She attended a one-room schoolhouse called Auburndale School until the eighth grade. She then attended the Madison County Training School in an area of Madison called “Tin Top” until the 11th grade. She walked four miles every day from her home on Stribling Road to school. She had always worked “in the field,” before and after school.
While farming with her parents, she met Jessie Bennett. Her stepdad, Harry Tyler, told her that Jessie “would make her a good husband.” Harry’s dying wish was for her to marry Jessie which she did in October 1943. The couple were sharecroppers until purchasing their own land in the 1940s. This is the property that Mrs. Bennett still owns and lives on today.
The Bennetts made sure all of their children graduated from high school and attended college. She was an integral part of the integration of Madison Schools. She wanted her children to have equal and the best opportunities as any child. In order to make this possible, she registered their driveway as a designated Madison County School bus stop. Even today, this is still in effect.
