Interview with Edna Rockstroh, September 22, 1977

Interview Summary

Edna Rockstroh first met Mary Breckinridge during the relief effort in France after World War One. During her midwifery training in London she was informed of Breckinridge's plans for what later became the FNS. Rockstroh tells of her trip from Lexington to the railroad station at Krypton and then the twenty-mile ride on horse-back to a mission at Wooton. The nurses took a survey of the local people and indicated what they hoped to do if they were accepted. Rockstroh traces their progress from one location to another, including the building of a small clinic. She describes the services provided and recalls her experiences with the mountain people. Also recounted are such activities as the weekly "trade day," when the local people would bring in eggs, chickens, and corn to trade for clothes, shoes, and toys sent down from New York. Rockstroh remained with the FNS until 1927, when chronic bronchitis caused her to leave the organization and relocate in California. She recalls hookworms and tuberculosis as the most serious health problems in the Leslie County area.

Interview Keyword

Appalachian Region--Social life and customs Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965 Health facilities. Hyden (Ky.) Wooton (Ky.)

Interview LC Subject

Appalachian Region--Social conditions Country life Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Medical care--Appalachian Region Nurses Rural conditions Rural health services

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.