University of North Carolina at Asheville
D. Hiden Ramsey Library
Special Collections/University Archives

Oral History Register
for

Annie Reel Cogburn

OH-VOA C63 An

Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection
D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA

Title

Creator

Dorothy Joynes for Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection

Subject

LCSH:
Cogburn, Annie Reel
Tuberculosis -- Hospitals -- North Carolina
Farm Life -- North Carolina
McDowell County (NC) -- History
Nursing -- North Carolina

Subject

Keyword: Nursing ; Morganton Asylum ; Memorial Mission Hospital ; Aston Park Hospital ; Farming ; S&W ; Tuberculosis

Description

Abstract: Cogburn describes growing up in a rural community outside of Marion, NC, where her father owned a farm.  She describes memories of her childhood, her education, and church services. She describes her chores as a child, her dislike of field work, and her desire to get out of the country and into the city.  She decided to become a nurse, and talks about her training and work at Mission Hospital until her retirement at the age of 80.  She discusses the Tuberculosis epidemic, and its effect on nurses and health care facilities.  She describes how she met and married her husband, her son's service in WWII as well as his job as a fireman, and her activities since retirement.

Publisher

D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC, 28804

Contributor

Date

Electronic Record Issued: 2002-04-04

Type

Sound ; Text ; Image

Format

Physical Description: 13-page abstract ; 1 90-minute audiocassette ; 7 color photographs ; newspaper articles

Identifier

Source

OH-VOA C63 An

Language

English

Relation

References: SHRC Dr. William S. Justice Oral History

Coverage

Acquisition

Donor number: 146 ;  Date of acquisition: 1998

Processed By

Dorothy Joynes, Ruth Beard, and staff

Interview Date

Interview Location

Biography

List of names

Side 1:

She was born in McDowell County 12 miles south of Marion, NC. Every summer her church had a "protracted meeting" (held in the church, not a tent). People came from all around and she was impressed with the way two "go forth" girls looked when they attended. They were all dressed up in white. She decided to be a nurse though she was too shy to talk to them. They came from the Maryweather Hospital.

[25] She went to work at the Morganton Insane Asylum. Mental patients and alcoholics were treated in a large house. She stayed for a while and decided to get training. In Marion a neighbor got sick and a doctor came to her house to operate. The day before he arrived she sterilized the sheets and the operation took place on the dining room table.

[59] She was working in a small Marion hospital for $25 a week with Dr. Kirby. At one time five patients needed operations. Dr. Griffith was called in from Asheville and took care of them. [Dr. Kirby, Dr. Webb Griffith]

[85] Dr. Griffith suggested she take nurse's training at Mission Hospital (see enclosed) and Miss Anderson sent in her application. [Miss Anderson]

[107] It took 3 years to get her certificate and she worked three shifts while in training. Most of the patients came from Asheville.

[117] She did private duty nursing and, unless there was an emergency, she did not take TB patients. She attended a dying patient for 3 nights on a rotating basis. Some nearly starved during the depression.

[166] Asheville was the only city with nurse's training in this area. There were 4 graduates in her class - two from Marshall and one from Statesville. [Hink Meadows, Eula Hortner, Josephine Bergin]

[178] While in training they received $10 a month. There was a 6 month probation period and when accepted, they were given a white apron, later they were given a uniform with a high collar which buttoned in the back like a priest, and stiff cuffs. It was difficult giving bed baths while wearing the cuffs so she removed them unless Miss Anderson was making rounds. She got her cap after 6 months and a black band was added after graduation. [Miss Anderson]

[225] She was raised in the country and didn't like working in the field. She was thrilled to reach 18 and, as no one asked to marry her, she went to work.

[236] There were 14 in her family and she was busy hoeing corn and shelling it. Going to the mill was a highlight in life but she never got to go.

[243] Her mother was short and hefty. She was operated on for appendicitis while pregnant and didn't heal right. Annie helped her with later corrective surgery.

[270] She was third child in line and helped take care of the younger children. Her father was a farmer. A first cousin is getting the family history together. Her mother's mother was an Elliott.

[290] She attended a one room school house and didn't see electricity until she went to Morganton. There was no running water in her house and once in a great while she would walk the railroad track to a grocery store 2 miles from the house.

[315] Her church was located in 2 or 3 different places while she was growing up. A visiting preacher would come once a month and would hold services Saturday and Sunday. Someone would pick him up at the flag station and keep him over night. There was no room in her house.

[339] The Bethel church would hold "protracted" meetings every summer. Baptists came from around the country side - no outsiders attended. The theme was Hell, Fire and Damnation.

[360] On the farm, along with corn and wheat, there were two kinds of potatoes, turnips and chicken. At one time 5 hogs were killed at the same time. She was raised on pig meat and molasses.

[373] Her mother preserved and kept food under the stairs close to the fireplace. There was a spring house to keep food fresh. They had 5 cows at one time and she helped with the milking. As the family got bigger her father rented more land. She went with him for a week to help and prepare his food.

[413] The neighbors were too far away for any easy gathering but they did get together for corn shucking parties. The boy who found the red ear could kiss his girl. There was corn liquor - "a lot got by. Some got caught."  She knew Bailey was a railroad policeman. [Jessie James Bailey]

[454] Everyone wanted to go to the S&W. She took her little boy there when he was three and she took him upstairs so he wouldn't disturb people - however he started acting up and when some ladies said he should have been kept at home, she stopped trying to keep him quiet. He took his jello and poured it on his head. They were disgusted! She was pleased. [William Cogburn Jr. "Billy"]

[483] She met her husband at the foot of Pisgah. He had been working on the Vanderbilt estate.  His wife hadn't been dead long and he had no children. She had to say "yes" soon or someone else was going to get him. She and her girl friend worked out a plan to have a double wedding and met at the Groce's house following a Methodist service he was giving [William H. Cogburn, Leona Allen Young, Fred Young, Rev. T. A. Groce, Robert Groce, Alvin Groce, Fred Groce]

[591] She told Bill she wouldn't get married unless she had a house. He got some land and Mr. Wright built it. (see enclosed) [William Cogburn, Mr. Howard Wright]

Side 2

While the house was being built they lived in a house in the country near the foot of Pisgah. They moved when their house was partly finished but because of cold weather the plaster bubbled and had to be repaired.

[2/21] They bought furniture from Garrett in Asheville. There was a café where Luke's furniture is now. [Nelson Garrett, Luke Atkinson]

[2/35] For nursing uniforms and household items she shopped at Bon Marche.

[2/48] She was working 12 miles from town. There was no bus. She went by car. She worked for 20 hours and was off for 4. She slept in the room with the patients.

[2/54] She didn't know the TB nurses who worked in the Sanatoriums because so many had died of the disease. Her mother, Joe, Fred, and Juda. Her father died of a heart attack and Lou had a heart condition. [Ardel Marlow Reel, Joe Reel, Fred Reel, Juda Reel, Elija Crayton Reel, Loula Reel]

[2/70] She only took TB patients in an emergency and when she did she "stayed in the open, and froze to death." It was believed that with fresh air and good food the patients would get well. Some did for a while but she didn’t know any who recovered.

[2/97] Her sister, who had been hospitalized in a Sanatorium beyond Biltmore with Dr. Ringer attending, had to be moved to the State Sanatorium with Dr. Schoenheit because of the expense (which Ann was paying) (see enclosed). She rode to Biltmore and then walked two miles to see her sister. [Dr. Paul Ringer, Dr. Edward W. Schoenheit)

[2/112] She learned about contagious diseases when in training. The nurses kept their hands clean and sterilized linen. She did not work at St. Josephs, which was started as a TB sanitarium and later became a general hospital.

[2/136] The X-ray machine was new and doctors at Aston Park Hospital put patients in an ambulance where they were X-rayed at an office in town.

[2/156] Aston Park Hospital was a general hospital run by a lady who graduated from nurses training one year ahead of her. Two doctors were responsible for the hospital. [Emily Mashburn, Dr. T. A. Pritchard, Dr. J. G. Anderson]

[2/174] Bess Spearman graduated with Ann Green and Emily Mashburn. Bess was on duty when she went to the hospital to deliver. When she was given ether, she said, "Pour it on, Miss Bess.'" She said the baby was long, skinny and the ugliest baby she had ever seen. [Bess Spearman, Ann Green, Emily Mashburn, Billy (William Cogburn Jr.)]

[2/227] She wanted Billy to go to college but he decided to volunteer for WWII and went to Washington to be examined. He had been taking flying lessons 2-3 times a week (see enclosed ) but because of his height (his father was 6'4") he took ground work. He buzzed her house once while she was gardening. He went overseas during the war. [Paul McMurry]

[2/269] When Billy returned he started attending a government electrical school. Because there were not enough students the school was relocated. It was too far to commute and it would have been too expensive to take a room so he got a job at the fire department. He stayed there until he retired. His wife, who has a son named Bill, has M.S. [Beverly Cogburn, Paul Cogburn, William H. Cogburn III, Michael Allen Cogburn]

[2/304] She is going to stay with Billy's wife when he goes to a gun convention. Paul lives at home but works 8 hours a day and Beverly needs to have someone with her. The other boys are not in the city.

[2/315] She retired when she was 80 and is busier than she was when she was nursing. She takes care of the house and yard and this is the first year she won't have a garden.

[2/329] She knows about May's Market (see tape) where Ralph was the meat man. Her brother-in-law went with the grocery business and Ralph went to work for him - The "One Stop" store. [Ralph J. Puttillo, Eddie Joyner]

[2/350] Her sister Dovie used to take Billy to the Isis Theater. When she was courting with Eddie they took Billy along in the "Struggle buggy." [Dovie Reel Joyner, Eddie Joyner (C. Edeson Joyner, "One Stop Food Shop")]

[2/379] She remembers the 2-cent stamp and could button her shoes without the button hook. When she was growing up the hook had to hang on a certain nail or someone could get a lashing!

[2/403] Her mother made all their clothes from material she got at the country store. They were all dressed alike from the same material. She names the girls. She and Dovie live in Asheville, Lucy Emma and Elizabeth Pearl live in Spindale. The rest all dead. [Loula May, Mary Hester, Annie Jane Cogburn, Julia Lee, Elizabeth Pearl, Lucy Emma, Dovie Fay]

[2/450] Her mother made the boys' shirts and knit their stockings. She also quilted and stuffed the mattresses ("big tickies") with straw and made quilts from feathers from their chickens. Her grandmother sewed checked gingham [flower sacks?] together for her boys to make sheets because they would be dirty from working in the fields.

[2/455] Baths were taken in a tin tub. They all carried water, milked, swept the yard and prayed for rain. They never got to rest unless it rained.

[2/470] Lou did the cooking when it rained - later the girls took turns which is the way they learned to cook. The boys cut wood and brought it inside.

[2/490] As the girls married they left home. She didn't like working in the fields. She didn't consider teaching - just wanted to get away from home and make some money.

[2/511] Her house on Haywood Road was next to a brick house, not torn down. On the other side lives a retired Navy man. Her house has been sold to the church across the street. She doesn’t know how it will be used but Tony, who is in charge of the little boys, brings the students to rake her leaves. She has always gone to the West Asheville Baptist Church across the street. It has previously been in 3 or 4 different locations. The preacher is Mr. Ivy (see enclosed) [Mrs. Hale, Mr. Smith, Tony Hooper, Mr. Ivy]

Thanks.

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