Interview with Thelma Herzner, April 4, 1990

Partial Transcript: Thelma you've been good enough to let me come into your home and ask you some questions.

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner knows nothing about her grandparents but shares what she remembers about her parents in her youth.

Keywords: Monkey John

Subjects: Childbirth; Coal miners; Family; Housekeeping; Jackson (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Did your parents ever talk about any attitudes about politics?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner talks about her educational background and her earliest memories of living together with her family.

Keywords: Living Arrangements

Subjects: Education; Public Schools; Rural Schools

Partial Transcript: When you were growing up did your family celebrate any holidays especially?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner talks about celebrating holidays with her family and doing chores around the house.

Keywords: Chores; Family Celebration; Soup Beans

Subjects: Cooking; Family; Holidays; Housekeeping

Partial Transcript: You said that you had to go to school. Do you know how far your parents went in school?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner remembers going to church every Sunday.

Keywords: Holy Rollers; Parents' Education

Subjects: Church; Discipline of Children; Education; Pentecostal churches; Religion; Schools

Partial Transcript: Did your father always work in the mines that you recall?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner talks about her father's work in the mines and his death of black lung.

Keywords: Black Lung

Subjects: Coal Miners; Lungs--Dust diseases; Strikes and lockouts; United Mine Workers of America

Partial Transcript: I wanna kinda go back and ask more questions about your family. Could you describe mealtime at your house?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner describes mealtime with her family and how children played together. She talks about how her father made whiskey and home brew.

Keywords: Home Brew; Mealtimes; Moonshine

Subjects: Cooking; Fishing; Friends; Hunting

Partial Transcript: So how far did you get in school yourself?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner talks bout being married 5 times, starting at age 13.

Keywords: 13 year old bride; Five Marriages; The Great Depression

Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio); Dances; Education; Family; Marriages; Public Welfare

Partial Transcript: So, how long was it before you met your fourth husband?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner talks about each of her marriages and how she met her husbands.

Keywords: Multiple Marriages

Subjects: Marriage

Partial Transcript: What was for you when you first came up, what was real different for you being in Cincinnati?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner talks about what she misses from living in the country. She has only been back to Kentucky once since she moved.

Keywords: Family Reunion; Sky Scrapers

Subjects: City life; Holidays

Partial Transcript: You got married pretty young. Did anyone tell you about the facts of life before you got married?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner talks about her experience with childbirth.

Keywords: Marriage Dynamics; Mother's Death

Subjects: Child care; Childbirth; Midwifery; Pregnancy

Partial Transcript: What would you say was the happiest time of your life?

Segment Synopsis: Ms. Herzner talks what its like to have 37 grandchildren.

Keywords: 37 Grandchildren

Subjects: Family; Mother-daughter relationship--Drama