Interview with Dorothy Tolley - OH 518

Interviewee

• Dorothy Brokaw Barnett Tolley

Interviewer

Minerva Houser

Files

Abstract

In Processing

This interview with Dorothy Brokaw Barnett “Dot” Tolley (1914-2010), conducted in Springdale, Arkansas, traces her lifelong engagement with Extension Homemakers Clubs from her early membership in Alton, Illinois in 1944 to her active participation in the Growing Fifty-Niners Club in Washington County, Arkansas. Dot reflects on the evolution of homemaker programs over the decades, from food-focused lessons and practical demonstrations—like “getting exercise while doing housework”—to more varied, family- and community-oriented topics in later years.

Dot shares vivid memories of her early life on a farm in Madison County, Illinois, where she grew up in a close-knit family of five daughters without modern conveniences. Her recollections include one-room schoolhouse education, Depression-era thrift, church-centered social life, and homemade holiday traditions. She describes how her upbringing instilled values of frugality, respect for others’ property, and strong family bonds.

Throughout the interview, Dot emphasizes the personal growth and leadership skills she gained through homemakers clubs, including her role as district program director. She also recounts humorous incidents, such as struggling to deliver a lesson on housework exercises while stifling laughter. Her storytelling is rich with detail—from threshing feasts and roller skating around the block to her father’s folk remedies and love of poetry and music.

Dot’s narrative offers a warm, detailed portrait of 20th-century rural and small-town life, highlighting the enduring impact of Extension Homemakers in fostering education, creativity, and community among women across generations.

Publication Date

1981

Unique Identifier

OH 518

Format

1 Cassette; MP3; WAV;

Length

01:15:57

Restrictions

This interview is open for use under the rules and regulations of the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections

Series

National Extension Homemakers' Council

Disciplines

Oral History

Recommended Citation

Tolley, Dorothy Brokaw Barnett, "Interview with Dorothy Tolley - OH 518" (1981). Winthrop University Oral History Program. OH 518.
https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/469