Interview with Nancy T. Stinnett, May 12, 2022

Partial Transcript: Okay, it is May 12th, 2022, I'm Kopana Terry, and I'm talking with Nancy Taylor Stinnett.

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett grew up in Allen County, attended and taught at White Plains Elementary School. The school had a familial atmosphere, both when she was a student there and later as a teacher. It was a quiet area, where she could ride her bicycle and walk home for lunch.

Keywords: Franklin Road; Harriet Halcomb; White Plains Elementary School

Subjects: Allen County (Ky.); Bicycles; Bowling Green (Ky.); Children; Education; Families; Parent-teacher relationships; Parents; Rural conditions; School lunches; Small towns

Partial Transcript: Well, how did you come to know the Halcombs?

Segment Synopsis: Mariola Halcomb was Stinnett's Sunday school teacher. Stinnett and Harriet had even been baptized on the same evening at Scottsville Baptist Church. They graduated in 1967 and went to different colleges, but always got together over breaks. As a child, she mostly remembers playing outside the house; Mariola Halcomb would leave drinks out for them. Despite all her travels, Harriet Halcomb never changed as a person.

Keywords: Additions; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Harriet Halcomb; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Scottsville Baptist Church; White Plains (Ky.); White Plains Baptist Church

Subjects: Baptism; Belmont University; Bowling Green (Ky.); Churches; Dwellings; Families; Historic buildings; Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration.; Holidays; Homes; Houses; Memories; Physicians--Kentucky; Recreation rooms; Scottsville (Ky.); Sunday schools; University of Kentucky; Vacations

Partial Transcript: Now, I understand that Mariola came to your classroom quite a bit?

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett talks about how Mariola Halcomb paid weekly visits to Stinnett's classroom when she was a teacher. Mariola Halcomb would bring the children candy she had made, and conference souvenirs. She crocheted Christmas wreaths and jack o'lanterns for nine years, one for each of the 25-30 children in the class. Stinnett says the children called Mariola "Grandmother O.," and many of them still have the gifts she'd given them. Many of the children didn't have their own grandparents and would talk to Mariola instead.

Keywords: Conferences; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Email; Grandmother O.; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb

Subjects: Advent calendars.; Candy.; Childhood.; Children.; Christmas decorations.; Christmas trees.; Christmas.; Country life.; Education.; Ethics.; Gardening.; Grandparents.; Holidays.; House sitting; Internet.; Jack-o-lanterns.; Plants.; Telecommunication.; Travel.; Wreaths.

Partial Transcript: So you've had a chance to see the house--they've done a lot of work on it recently--as you walk through the house, tell me some of your thoughts and memories of--of the family and being in the house.

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett remembers playing outside and in the basement as a child, and talking with Harriet in her room. The interiors of the house haven't changed since. Stinnett talks about how Mariola was welcoming, and Dr. Halcomb worked long hours and saw patients at the house, typically in the evenings when Stinnett was already on her way home.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Halcomb & Oliver Clinic; Halcomb and Oliver Clinic; Harriet Halcomb; Homes; House calls; Houses; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Medical care--Kentucky; Physicians--Kentucky; Rural health--Kentucky; Small towns

Subjects: Country life.; Dwellings.; Family medicine.; Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration.; Historic buildings.; Historic house museums.; Historic preservation.; Housing.; Parties.; Recreation rooms.; Rural conditions.; Scottsville (Ky.); Teenagers.

Partial Transcript: But Harriet and I would go to the Roadside Park once a month, and Ruby Claire Jackson drove the Bookmobile, and she always brought us snacks that were usually peanut butter and Ritz crackers and Kool-Aid, and she would read to us--there was a shelter up there, still is, I think.

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett also remembers playing at the Roadside Park and Ruby Claire Jackson driving the Bookmobile. Harriet Halcomb would go home to read the books she'd checked out--she was an inspiration, very studious. Julie Halcomb was older and would help the younger children do crafts, Ivory soap carvings for example. Joe Halcomb was quieter and nice. Mariola Halcomb would bring them drinks, and sometimes cookies to eat.

Keywords: Allen County Public Library; F. Joseph "Joe" Halcomb, III; Harriet Halcomb; Julie Halcomb Koch; Julie Koch; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Road Side Park; Roadside Park; Ruby Claire Jackson

Subjects: Bookmobiles.; Books.; Childhood.; Children.; Crafts.; Food.; Libraries.; Parks.; Siblings.; Studying.

Partial Transcript: You said that they traveled a lot?

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett recalls that Mariola and Dr. Halcomb traveled a lot, as did Harriet Halcomb for her international teaching career. Harriet would also help with bilingual Bible school classes in Florida; she and her husband would send Christmas cards detailing where they were and what they were doing.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Foreign languages; Harriet Halcomb; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb

Subjects: Christmas cards.; Education.; Florida.; Language and languages.; Spanish language.; Sunday schools.; Travel.

Partial Transcript: You said that you went to Bellerman--

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett double majored in elementary education and English at Belmont University. After graduating she taught for several years in Atlanta before marriage brought her back to Allen County, where she worked for the rest of her career. Stinnett's son also grew up in Scottsville.

Keywords: Northern Kentucky University School of Law

Subjects: Allen County (Ky.); Belmont University.; Bowling Green (Ky.); Children.; Education.; Elementary education.; Golf.; Law schools.; Marriage.; Nashville (Tenn.); Northern Kentucky University.; Occupations.; Professions.; Scottsville (Ky.); Sports.; Travel.; Vocations.; Western Kentucky University.; Work.

Partial Transcript: So I understand that Dr. Halcomb was kind of the sports doctor for the schools around here.

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett recalls that Dr. Halcomb was always at the high school's basketball games treating injuries. He also served on the school board, always looking out for the best for the children, and was also on the city council. Stinnett describes how everything Dr. Halcomb and Mariola did, they always encouraged other people.

Keywords: Allen County School Board of Education; Board of education; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Medical care--Kentucky; Physicians--Kentucky; Rural health--Kentucky; Scottsville City Council; Superintendents

Subjects: Basketball.; Children.; City councils.; Education.; High schools.; School boards.; Single mothers.; Sports medicine.; Sports.; Vocations.

Partial Transcript: Do you have any other memories about--about them or the children here in the house?

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett recalls the transition from the Scottsville Baptist Church to the founding of the White Plains Baptist Church. Originally intended to be a mission, early meetings were held in the Fred Hill Shopping Center, after which the first sanctuary was built. Stinnett recalls that the church community was close and good to one another.

Keywords: Christian missions; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; F. Joseph "Joe" Halcomb, III; Fred Hill Shopping Center; Harriet Halcomb; Julie Halcomb Koch; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Scottsville Baptist Church; White Plains Baptist Church

Subjects: Charity.; Charters.; Church buildings.; Churches.; Communities.; Scottsville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: I know that you have many, many, many more memories to share.

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett says that the Halcomb house's basement recreation room still looks almost the same. Stinnett recalls upstairs memories of the children's bedrooms, the tongue-and-groove closet at a slant that Harriet Halcomb used as a playhouse. Stinnett says she only has great memories of the Halcomb house.

Keywords: F. Joseph "Joe" Halcomb, III; Harriet Halcomb; Homes; Interiors; Julie Halcomb Koch; Julie Koch; Pianos; Playhouses, Children's

Subjects: Dolls.; Dwellings.; Furniture.; Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration.; Historic buildings.; Historic house museums.; Historic preservation.; Housing.; Playhouses.

Partial Transcript: Do you have any specific memories about Dr. Halcomb?

Segment Synopsis: Halcomb did not visit the school frequently, but he would come when the board toured at the start of the year. Halcomb would also drop off Mariola Halcomb's craft projects, and the children would ask who he was. Stinnett remembers people wanted to be in her class so they would get to spend time with Grandmother O., and the whole school knew whenever she was visiting. She was really there because she was close to Stinnett, who was nearing the end of her career at the time. Stinnett remembers Mariola Halcomb offering to be a mother figure for Stinnett after her own mother passed when she was thirty-four.

Keywords: Allen County School Board of Education; Board of education; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Grandmother O.; Julie Halcomb Koch; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb

Subjects: Adulthood.; Aging; Children.; Craft projects.; Death.; Education.; Families.; Grandmothers.; Mothers.; Old age.; Older people.; Retirement.; School boards.; Sons.; Students.

Partial Transcript: Talk to me about her.

Segment Synopsis: Mariola Halcomb loved her family. She was also always very involved in the church. Mariola Halcomb did many things that no one ever knew about, and she and Dr. Halcomb were steadfast and dedicated in providing help to everyone in the community. Some of the things no one knew about included helping people with jobs, and furthering their education.

Keywords: Church choirs; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Small towns

Subjects: Charity.; Choirs (Music); Churches.; Communities.; Education.; Families.; Mothers.; Occupations.; Parents.; Professions.; Small cities.; Sunday schools.; Vocations.; Work.

Partial Transcript: Tell me about your mom and dad.

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett's parents worked locally in education and social services, they were very involved in charity and the church. They were excellent parents who put their children through college at a time when that was not common.

Keywords: Allen County Elementary School; Gene Porter Taylor; Kentucky--Social conditions; Maureen Taylor; People in need; Social services; WW2; World War 2; World War II

Subjects: Belmont University.; Buses.; Charity; Children; Christians; Churches; Education; Education.; Higher education.; Military draft.; Murray State University.; Nashville (Tenn.); Occupations.; Parents; Professions.; Secretaries; Transportation; Vocations.; Western Kentucky University.; Work; World War Two.; World War, 1939-1945--Veterans.

Partial Transcript: Do you have any--any final thoughts?

Segment Synopsis: Stinnett misses Harriet Halcomb terribly, and her parents. They all worked through to the ends of their lives, caring for everybody.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Harriet Halcomb; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Mourning; Small towns

Subjects: Communities.; Death.; Grief.; Loss.; Parents.; Small cities.