Interview with Linda Cline, May 13, 2022

Partial Transcript: It's Friday, the 13th, May 2022, I'm Kopana Terry and I'm talking with Linda Cline.

Segment Synopsis: Cline introduces herself as a retired Allen County school educator, who remembers Dr. Halcomb from his time on the school board. She mentions that they were also next-door neighbors, and that she and Julie Halcomb were the same age, but went to different schools and knew each other through church.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Julie Halcomb Koch; Julie Koch; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb

Subjects: Allen County (Ky.); Churches; City life; Country life; Education; Families; Grandchildren; Neighbors; School boards; Sunday schools

Partial Transcript: So tell me what it was like coming here as a--as a young person.

Segment Synopsis: Cline talks about how after school, the Halcombs would come down the stairs with her and hang out in the basement. She says when there was dancing, it was to Bebop in the 1950s and early '60s, and thirty or forty friends from school would come over for a cookout and Dr. and Mariola Halcomb would join earlier in the evening for the cookout and dancing.

Keywords: Bebop (Music); Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Elvis Presley; F. Joseph "Joe" Halcomb, III; Harriet Halcomb; Julie Halcomb Koch; Julie Koch; Kentucky--Social conditions; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Spin the bottle

Subjects: Children; Cookouts; Country life; Dance parties; Dancing; Dwellings; Families; Historic buildings; Parties; Recreation rooms; Rural conditions; Sunday schools; Teenagers

Partial Transcript: He--Dr. Halcomb was very involved with the community.

Segment Synopsis: Cline describes Dr. Halcomb's involvement in the community, especially through his clinic and seeing patients at his house. She says he was also supportive of children, both through serving on the school board and as the team doctor for the Allen County basketball team. Cline says he was also involved in the Special Olympics in the county, performing the physicals for free so people could qualify to participate.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Halcomb & Oliver Clinic; Halcomb and Oliver Clinic; House calls; Kentucky--Social conditions; Medical care--Kentucky; Medical practice; Physicians--Kentucky; Rural health--Kentucky

Subjects: Allen County (Ky.); Children; Country life; Education; School boards; Special Olympics; Sports; Sports tournaments; Telecommunications; Travel; Vocations; Volunteering

Partial Transcript: Were you a patient of his?

Segment Synopsis: Cline talks about how she and her sister became patients of Dr. Halcomb, and mentions his kindness and how you could hear his laugh all through the building. Cline says that Mariola Halcomb had also been a nurse and had the same bedside manner.

Keywords: Bedside manner; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Halcomb & Oliver Clinic; Halcomb and Oliver Clinic; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Medical care--Kentucky; Physicians--Kentucky; Rural health--Kentucky

Subjects: Doctors; Family medicine; Nurses; Rural health services; Vocations

Partial Transcript: Tell me, what's your favorite story about him?

Segment Synopsis: Cline describes Dr. Halcomb love of fishing, and how he and her husband, Rob Cline, participated in fishing tournaments, which Dr. Halcomb often did well in. Cline talks about the relationship between Dr. Halcomb and her husband, including how Dr. Halcomb told Rob Cline how much he'd enjoyed watching Cline's boys grow up, and how they traveled together while Rob was an assistant basketball coach.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Rob Cline; Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel

Subjects: Basketball; Boating; Competitions; Education; Fishing; Photographs; Sports; Sports tournaments; Tournaments; Travel

Partial Transcript: Well, you told me your favorite story about Dr. Halcomb. Tell me about Mariola.

Segment Synopsis: Cline talks about how Mariola Halcomb would call on her to come admire her lily garden, and then give her flowers as she was leaving. She also talks about how Mariola started a lily garden in front of White Plains Baptist Church started.

Keywords: Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; White Plains Baptist Church

Subjects: Canning and preserving; Children; Community; Cooking; Flowers; Gardening; Grapevines; Lilies; Telecommunications

Partial Transcript: So when you--when you come into the house now, has it changed much?

Segment Synopsis: Cline talks about how Mariola Halcomb always planned many activities and she was so good with children because of all the time she spent teaching Sunday school. Cline says she still has memories of the bedrooms upstairs.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; F. Joseph "Joe" Halcomb, III; Harriet Halcomb; Julie Halcomb Koch; Julie Koch; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Renovations; Slumber parties

Subjects: Bible schools; Children; City councils; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Dwellings.; Families; Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration; Historic buildings.; Historic house museums.; Historic preservation; Kitchens; National Register of Historic Places; Rural conditions; Scottsville (Ky.); Studies; Sunday schools; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Your thoughts about the house today and how--how they've managed to preserve it?

Segment Synopsis: Cline says that Joe and Julie Halcomb have worked hard to preserve the house, which she's seen firsthand as a member of the city council's special committee. She talks about how they have brainstormed many ways to use the house to contribute to the community. Cline thinks that Dr. and Mrs. Halcomb would have loved what their children are doing with the house, and that if they were still alive they would be looking for ways to be involved in the project themselves.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; F. Joseph "Joe" Halcomb, III; Harriet Halcomb; Julie Halcomb Koch; Julie Koch; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb; Renovations

Subjects: City councils; Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration; Historic buildings.; Historic house museums.; Historic preservation; Kitchens; National Register of Historic Places; Scottsville (Ky.); Studies; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: I know you've got many, many stories about Dr. and Mrs. Halcomb--I would love to hear them.

Segment Synopsis: Cline talks about how Mariola Halcomb would share recipes with her. She says the Halcombs had dogs who were treated just like members of the family, and that they raised several litters of puppies. Cline mentions that Mrs. Halcomb always supported the children's school activities.

Keywords: Boxers (Dogs); Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb

Subjects: Animals; Baking; Canning and preserving; Community; Cooking; Country life; Dogs; Family farms; Flowers; Food

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about Dr. Halcomb and his role as a doctor, and how patients would sometimes come here to the house after his clinic hours.

Segment Synopsis: Cline remembers Dr. Halcomb seeing patients at the house, she knew many of the children who he had delivered as babies. She says he never talked to her about his experiences as a doctor.

Keywords: Dr. Earl Oliver; Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb, Jr.; Halcomb & Oliver Clinic; Halcomb and Oliver Clinic; Medical care--Kentucky; Physicians--Kentucky; Rural health--Kentucky

Subjects: Childbirth; Country life; Doctors; Education; Family medicine; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: You know, you said early on that you grew up on a farm.

Segment Synopsis: Cline says that despite growing up on a farm, she always attended city schools. She says that since her grandmother lived in the city she had the best of both worlds. Cline says that growing up on a farm meant a lot to her and her sister, and she's taken her boys back to the farm in the summers where they help with the farm work.

Subjects: Childhood; Children; City life; Country life; Families; Family farms; Farm life; Farms; Generations; Grandmothers; Grandparents; Siblings; Sports; Swimming

Partial Transcript: Did you bring your children over to visit the Halcombs very often?

Segment Synopsis: Cline describes walking her children over to visit the Halcombs, who would also babysit. Cline ends by saying how thrilled she is about the future of their childhood home in the community.

Keywords: Dr. Francis Joseph "F.J." Halcomb; Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb

Subjects: Children; Community; Country life; Families; Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration.; Historic buildings.; Historic house museums.; Historic preservation; Neighbors; Scottsville (Ky.)