Interview with Jessie Shephard, August 22, 1978

Partial Transcript: This is an interview with Mrs. Jessie Shephard for the oral history project Frontier Nursing Service by Linda Green at approximately 2pm at Rockhouse Creek, on the 22nd of August, 1978.

Segment Synopsis: Jessie Shephard is introduced. She talks about growing up in Leslie County, Kentucky and describes a Christmas when all of the children in the area were invited to the Frontier Nursing Service headquarters at Wendover. She gives a description of Mary Breckinridge and talks about her relationships with the local people.

Keywords: Christmas trees; Dry Hill (Ky.); Fathers; Mary Breckinridge; Personality; Relationships; Short Creek (Ky.)

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Christmas--Appalachian Region; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Hyden (Ky.); Leslie County (Ky.); Rural children; Wendover (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: My babies is all FNS babies.

Segment Synopsis: Shephard says that all five of her children were born with the help of nurses from the Frontier Nursing Service. She talks about the quality of care she and her children received, and says the parents were taught how to take care of the babies.

Keywords: Betty Lester; Changes; Checkups; Childcare; Delivery; England; Healthcare; Homebirths; Hospitals; Labor; Medicine; Pain relief; Teaching; Vanda Summers; Visiting; Visits

Subjects: Childbirth; Children; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Maternal health services.; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Nurses; Nursing; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: Well I'd be interested to hear more about your childhood growing up here.

Segment Synopsis: Shephard talks about where she attended school, and says that she did not often play with other children. She talks more about the Christmas party at Wendover, as well as parties held at the school. She talks more about Mary Breckinridge's relationships with the local people.

Keywords: Christmas plays; Conversations; Cookies; Dry Hill School; Ellis Branch (Hyden, Ky.); Fathers; Food; Games; Helping; Leslie County (Ky.); Loner; Mary Breckinridge; Parties; Playing; Relationships; Sewing; Toys

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Childhood; Christmas--Appalachian Region; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Rural children; Wendover (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: And then how did you meet your, your husband?

Segment Synopsis: Shephard talks about her husband and children. She talks about her work as a nurse's aide in various places around the country.

[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Careers; Cincinnati (Ohio); Dayton (Ohio); Hazard (Ky.); Husbands; Nurse aides; Pregnant; Schools; Wilmington (N.C.); Working

Subjects: Children; Families.; Occupations.; Pregnancy; Work.

Partial Transcript: Why did you quit school?

Segment Synopsis: Shephard talks about her daughter who became very ill. She talks about the doctor's prognosis, the operation her daughter underwent, and her unexpected recovery.

[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Daughters; Death; Doctors; Dr. Skinner; Gallstones; Illnesses; Middletown (Ohio); Operations; Prayers; Quitting

Subjects: Children; Families.; Medical care; Pancreatitis.; Physicians

Partial Transcript: So why did you move back from Ohio to this area?

Segment Synopsis: Shephard talks about why she returned to Leslie County after working elsewhere. She talks about preserving food, and about winters in the area. She talks about her father's work as a farmer and coal miner. She talks about the Cherokee ancestry in her family, and a Cherokee nurse who worked with the Frontier Nursing Service. The interview concludes abruptly.

Keywords: American Indians; Cherokee; Cities; Coal miners; Country; Farming; Fathers; Native Americans; Nurses; Returning; Sewing; Snow; Vegetables; Weather; Winters; Working

Subjects: Canning and preserving; Families.; Food--Preservation--Appalachian Region; Genealogy--Appalachian Region; Leslie County (Ky.); Rural conditions