Interview with Bertha Howard, July 26, 1979

Partial Transcript: This is an interview with Bertha Howard for the Frontier Nursing Service Oral History Project...

Segment Synopsis: Howard remembers her ancestors coming from Wales. Growing up, school was wonderful for her. Shortly after arriving in Kentucky, she attended a boarding school. Howard attended school for two years, later returning to Knoxville. Howard later returned to Kentucky. Shortly after returning to Kentucky, Howard married Felix Howard.

Keywords: Ancestors; Boarding schools; Children; Greasy Creek (Ky.); Johnny Harris; Pine Mountain School; Pine Mountain Settlement School; Sammy Jones; Schools; Settlement schools; Wales

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Families.; Kentucky; Knoxville (Tenn.); Marriage; Rural children

Partial Transcript: Uh, okay, do you, uh, uh, remember what the, uh--(clears throat)--how far it was to the closest store, uh, there on Greasy?

Segment Synopsis: Howard speaks about the dynamics of living in Greasy. She speaks briefly on Felix's uncle in Greasy. Howard talks about the distance to stores in Greasy, which could be described as a hike. Felix's father was a blacksmith in Greasy. Greasy as a whole lacked social events. Howard speaks of her own children attending school in Greasy.

Keywords: Blacksmiths; Children; County; Distance; Greasy Creek (Ky.); Ground corn; Location of stores; Mail; Pine Mountain School; Pine Mountain Settlement School; Schools; Settlement schools; Work

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Childhood; Country life; Education; Families.; Kentucky; Knoxville (Tenn.); Rural children; Rural conditions

Partial Transcript: What kind of work did Felix do? Your husband?

Segment Synopsis: Howard's husband Felix, when they got married, played a significant role in the community. She recalls Christmases being joyful and happy.

Keywords: Felix Howard; Groceries; Holidays; Husbands; Sammy Johnson; Work

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Christmas--Appalachian Region; Country life; Families.; Kentucky; Marriage; Rural churches; Rural conditions

Partial Transcript: Uh, did you ever go to any quiltings? Where the women would have quiltings?

Segment Synopsis: Howard recalls parties in Greasy. People would play running games and string beans. People would dance and party. People would sing primarily church-based songs. Howard speaks of the joy around Christmas time.

Keywords: Activities; Christmas; Family; Games; Gifts; Greasy Creek (Ky.); Holidays; Mountain ballots; Parties; Stringing beans; Weddings

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Religion; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachian Region--Social life and customs; Christmas--Appalachian Region; Country life; Families.; Kentucky; Rural conditions

Partial Transcript: Uh, the electricity didn't come up in there till when?

Segment Synopsis: Howard recalls Greasy being a fairly underdeveloped place. She lived life without electricity for some time. She recalls her first time seeing a car. Radios were just introduced into the area. Howard speaks of Felix describing to her what an airplane was like, for he had seen one with his own eyes.

Keywords: Airplanes; Cars; Changes; Communication; Electricity; Gardens; Greasy Creek (Ky.); Mills; Radios; Sheep shearing; Technology; Telephones; Tennessee; Trucks; Undeveloped; Work

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Country life; Families.; Kentucky; Rural children; Rural conditions; Rural electrification; Technological innovations

Partial Transcript: What about the politics around, around there on Greasy and the mouth of Greasy?

Segment Synopsis: Politics were not considered a popular topic in Greasy. Howard recalls significant moments in politics. Overall, politics did not play a tremendous role in Howard's life as a whole.

Keywords: Alonzo Morgan; Blue Wing Hotel; Greasy Creek (Ky.); Politicians; Speakings; Vote; Voting

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Candidates, Political; Elections.; Kentucky--Politics and government

Partial Transcript: Bertha, what about the war? World War One? Can you remember when they had that bad flu?

Segment Synopsis: Howard recalls a horrible flu spreading during the time of World War I. People died from this flu. Howard could not recall how many. People used many home remedies, such as black drop tea and hot pepper tea.

Keywords: Black drop tea; Doctors; Flu; Home remedies; Hot pepper tea; Medicines; World War I

Subjects: Country life; Death.; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919; Medical care; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medicine, Rural; Rural conditions; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky; Traditional medicine; World War, 1914-1918

Partial Transcript: Okay what about the, what about the Depression years, Bertha? What, what were they like?

Segment Synopsis: The Great Depression was a struggle during Howard's life. During this time, she suffered from a lack of necessities like clothing. Howard and her husband Felix worked tirelessly to gain quick money for a cold winter.

Keywords: Clothes; Government jobs; Great Depression; Handouts; Hardships; Projects; Winters; Work; Work Projects Administration (WPA); Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Economic conditions; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Country life; Depressions--1929--Kentucky; Employment--Kentucky; Rural conditions

Partial Transcript: Uh, what about the, the medical services before the Frontier Nursing Service come in there?

Segment Synopsis: Howard speaks about medical care before the Frontier Nurses had arrived. Home remedies consisted of boiling natural products, and oftentimes were given to children. Every illness of that time had a natural remedy to soothe it.

Keywords: Boil; Herb doctors; Herb medicine; Home remedies; Kids; Medical services; Molasses; Seven-year itch; Worms

Subjects: Children; Country life; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Medical care; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical care--Kentucky; Medicine, Rural; Rural conditions; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky; Traditional medicine

Partial Transcript: And that was the granny women down there. Which ones of them did you have when, when your babies was born?

Segment Synopsis: Howard speaks about the "granny women," local women who helped others give birth. She recalls having a woman named Aunt Lucy Morgan deliver her baby. The granny women primarily used scissors to deliver babies, from what Howard can recall. No medicine was given to mothers nor babies during labor. It only cost $5 to deliver a baby.

Keywords: Aunt Lucy Morgan; Babies; Charges; Cords; Country doctors; Dr. Stoddard; Medicine; Scissors; Stories

Subjects: Childbirth; Children; Country life; Maternal health services.; Medical care; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical care--Kentucky; Medicine, Rural; Midwifery--Appalachian Region; Midwives--Appalachian Region; Rural conditions; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky; Traditional medicine

Partial Transcript: Uh, how far--when, when the Frontier Nursing Service came in there, how far, how far was it from your house to, to the nearest clinic?

Segment Synopsis: The Frontier Nursing Center was four miles away from Howard. They delivered one baby of Howard's. Howard describes their methods to be more "equipped" than the granny women's. Howard spent a total of eleven days in the clinic during labor. She knew Mrs. Breckinridge briefly, and describes her to be a "fine lady" and a good service to Leslie County.

Keywords: Check ups; Clinics; Delivery; Hospitals; Laurel County (Ky.); Mary Breckinridge; Ms. Breckinridge

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Childbirth; Children; Country life; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Leslie County (Ky.); Maternal health services; Maternal health services.; Medical care; Medical care--Appalachian Region; Medical care--Kentucky; Medicine, Rural; Midwifery--Appalachian Region; Midwives--Appalachian Region; Rural conditions; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky; Traditional medicine