Interview with Jean Rule, November 18, 1999

Partial Transcript: --is with Jean Rule on November the 18th, 1999 in her den at her home in Etowah, interviewed by Sandy Brewer.

Segment Synopsis: Rule explains what it was like growing up in Etowah, Tennessee. She liked school and Girl Scouts. She explains that they moved to Etowah because L&N Railroad hired her father. Next, she explains how she met her husband at the pharmacy she worked at. Rule explains the kind of dates they would go on.

Keywords: Dating; Entertainment; Girl Scouts; L&N Railroad; Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N); Railroad companies; Recreation; Small towns; Social life; Tennessee

Subjects: Childhood; Communities; Etowah (Tenn.); Railroads

Partial Transcript: Tell me about, uh--you said you worked with Don Rule's. Can you tell me about Don?

Segment Synopsis: Rule talks about Donald, who ran a pharmacy that also served as a diner. Rule says that he was a character. One time on a delivery he went so fast that the police pulled him over.

Keywords: Donald Rule; Pharmacies; Small towns; Tennessee

Subjects: Communities; Drugstores; Etowah (Tenn.)

Partial Transcript: How many worked there?

Segment Synopsis: Rule starts with talking about how she met many young people working at the pharmacy because it was the place kids hung out. Next, she talks about what it was like moving to Etowah. Rule explains that it was hard to make friends initially and the first summer she did not do much. She says that the girls in Etowah seemed to be more sophisticated, which made it hard to fit in.

Keywords: Pharmacies; Small towns; Social life; Teens; Tennessee

Subjects: Communities; Etowah (Tenn.); Teenagers

Partial Transcript: Can you tell ever--can you tell me about if there's ever been a time that, uh, you were afraid?

Segment Synopsis: Rule talks about how she was independent as a child. She went to the movies by herself at age 9. Rule believes she was not afraid because she was used to that freedom. Next, Rule talks about her two grandmothers and her uncle. One grandmother lived in the city and the other lived in country. Her grandparents would take her on trips around the country.

Keywords: Family; Grandparents; Independence; Movies; Rural towns; Small towns; Tennessee

Subjects: Childhood; Communities; Etowah (Tenn.); Families.; Grandparents

Partial Transcript: Do you have--looking back over your life, is there any disappointment or anything you'd change if you had--you know, if you could?

Segment Synopsis: Rule says that she wishes she could have gotten a better education when she was young. She says she wanted to be a doctor or a nurse, however upon seeing the small offices of the hospital she thought otherwise.

Keywords: Education; Hospitals; Schools; Small towns

Subjects: Communities; Etowah (Tenn.); Nurses

Partial Transcript: Oh, uh, tell me about some of your travels when--did you--didn't you and Charlie do some traveling?

Segment Synopsis: Rule talks about how her husband was not very interested in traveling, but she was. Rule said she went to Israel and Europe and the Bahamas. Next, she talks about how she would get hand me downs growing up and how embarrassing it was.

Keywords: Bahamas; Israel; Secondhand clothing; Small towns; Traveling; Travels; Youth

Subjects: Childhood; Communities; Etowah (Tenn.); Travel

Partial Transcript: What are some of your favorite recipes?

Segment Synopsis: Rule talks about eating vegetables growing up. She talks about how her husband was picky but Rule's mother would cook for him. Rule's mother would cook for anyone who needed lunch and lots of people would go to her house to eat.

Keywords: Cooking; Feasts; Food; Meals; Rural towns; Small towns; Vegetables

Subjects: Childhood; Communities; Cookbooks; Etowah (Tenn.)

Partial Transcript: And when you went to school in Knoxville, what business school did you go to?

Segment Synopsis: Rule talks about going to school in Knoxville, Tennessee. She remembers going to Knoxville as a treat when she was little, so when she was grown up that is where she wanted to go. Next, Rule talks about her childhood in Etowah again, this time explaining how her father worked for the railroad.

Keywords: Business schools; Careers; Colleges; Employment; Fathers; Jobs; L&N Railroad; Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N); Tennessee; Work

Subjects: Childhood; Communities; Etowah (Tenn.); Knoxville (Tenn.); Railroads