Interview with Albert Bowling, September 12, 1978

Partial Transcript: This is an interview with Mr. Albert Bowling for the Frontier Nursing Service Oral History Project by Dale Deaton at approximately 10:00 a.m. on September 12, 1978 at Brutus, Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Albert Bowling was born in 1923 and lived all his life in Brutus, Kentucky. He worked for the Frontier Nursing Service before leaving for other jobs. All of his children were delivered at home by FNS nurses who came to their home on horseback.

Keywords: Brutus Center (Ky.); Dr. Beasley; FNS meetings; Healthcare; Horseback; Jim Davison; Pay; Summer; Work

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Medical care--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Well was the road built through at Mills--

Segment Synopsis: Albert describes the condition of the access road in the area. He speaks about the nurses who came to the area, and remembers their names. He comments that it was preferred that the nurses be unmarried.

Keywords: "Dug-it"; FNS nurses; Healthcare; Horseback; WPA projects

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Nurses; United States. Works Progress Administration.

Partial Transcript: How did most of the people, uh, how did they think about the FNS nurses? Did most of them like them, or did uh--

Segment Synopsis: Bowling talks about the routes the FNS nurses followed to make their home visits. He talks about the cost of medical care, and describes the services offered, including how mothers were cared for after childbirth.

Keywords: Baby bonnets; Childbirth; FNS medical fees; FNS nurses; Home visits; Medical practice

Subjects: Childbirth; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Medical care, Cost of; Medical care--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: When, when people pay a dollar a year and five dollars for the delivery of a baby, did the people around here, did they think that it was all that it cost to deliver the baby?

Segment Synopsis: Moore implies most people did not know at the time that medical care provided by the FNS was funded by the federal government. Cost of food per year is compared to the cost of having a baby with the FNS.

Keywords: Coffee; Cost of living; FNS medical fees; Food prices; Inflation; Subsidized medical care; Sugar

Subjects: Childbirth; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Medical care, Cost of; Medical care--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Well what did most people work at, around in this area in the 1940s? Was it mostly with the staves?

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about weekly wages and subsistence farming.

Keywords: Barrel staves; Corn; Cows; Farming; Flour; WPA; Working

Subjects: United States. Works Progress Administration.

Partial Transcript: How about education, were schools available here when you were growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Bowling describes his schooling experience as child, and as an adult in night classes. One-room schoolhouses are discussed, along with how people viewed education.

Keywords: Adult education; One-room schoolhouses; Opinions; Schools

Subjects: Education--Kentucky; Rural schools--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, what did people do for, for social activities back then, did they have parties, did they have dances, or whatever?

Segment Synopsis: After working in the fields, social events were common. Bowling describes games people played.

Keywords: Ball games; Blind pole; Dances; Hoe corn; Parties

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social life and customs

Partial Transcript: On Sunday--were there very many churches around here? Did people attend church--

Segment Synopsis: "Holy-rollers" and "Old Baptist" are the terms Bowling remembers that church goers in the community were called. He says that many of the young boys went to church to see their girlfriends. He describes how boys courted girls and what they did together.

Keywords: "Call on a girl"; Church; Courting culture; Courtship customs; Dating; Horseback riding; Sundays

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Religion; Churches--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: When did--when was this road built to the point you could drive a car over it, summer and winter?

Segment Synopsis: Bowling helped work on the road. A company from Lockland, Ohio paved it. Bowling says it was black-topped about 20 years ago. Before then it was gravel.

Keywords: Black-top roads; Gravel roads; Lockland (Ohio); Rural roads

Subjects: Roads--Design and construction--Kentucky.; Rural roads

Partial Transcript: Well with five children--well, you had a total of seven children, was there any--with either one of these, was there any major complications?

Segment Synopsis: Bowling states that all of his children, six boys and one girl, were raised healthy. He says that people were not really worried about women being pregnant, and had no fear or stigma surrounding it.

Keywords: Child-rearing; Dangers; Pregnancy; Raising children

Subjects: Childbirth; Rural children

Partial Transcript: Well as a young boy, can you remember the FNS treating you with shots or worm treatments, or any of that?

Segment Synopsis: Bowling remembers treatments, tests, and local people being treated by the FNS.

Keywords: Brutus Clinic (Ky.); FNS nurses; Immunizations; Injuries; Lockjaw; Medical treatments; Public Health Department; TB; Tuberculosis; Worm treatments

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Medical care--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: --lot of changes going on now with FNS. There's been some talk that the Brutus Clinic might be closed. How do you think most people around the Brutus area feel about that?

Segment Synopsis: Bowling talks about the possibility of the Brutus Clinic closing and how people fear not having having it nearby. He talks about how few people understand the changes happening with medical care.

Keywords: Brutus Clinic (Ky.); Medical centers; Medicare cards

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Medical care, Cost of; Medical care--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: When you went through the program about four or five years ago, that's when you learned to, to write?

Segment Synopsis: After spending thirteen years in a federal program, Bowling learned to write checks. He says there is not a local place to read or buy books. Manchester, Kentucky is the closest place to get a newspaper or reading material. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Bookstores; Federal programs; Learning; Manchester (Ky.); Reading; Writing

Subjects: Education--Appalachian Region