Mary Ellen's Tidbits: 03 September 2006

Howdy Doody Ice Cream Car

I found a full page size enlarged copy of this photo in some old pictures of my mother's. This is a picture of Betty, Mama (Hazel), and Mildred. They worked driving these little Howdy Doody Ice Cream cars. This was sometime in the early 1950's. Somewhere in all of our old photos is the original, I'm sure.

Then, while looking for something else, I found a story Mama had written to the Reader's Digest to be published in "Life in the United States". I don't know whether it was ever mailed to them or published, but here is her story:

This was addressed to Reader's Digest, Pleasantville, N.Y., For Life in the U.S. Editor:

"It was a very windy day. Spring was coming in like a lion. I was driving slowly down the street in a Crosley ice cream car ringing the bell. It was early, so there was not many children outside. I was watching a long-legged dog down the street. He was pulling at something on one of the lawns. As I came nearer, I saw it was a very large kite with a long rag tail. The dog picked the kite up by the cross sticks and, holding his head high, let it loose to the breeze. The kite sailed above the ground to the next yard. The dog raced after it snatching at the kite tail. It fell in the yard and he repeated his performance. He was having more fun than some boy. The last I saw of him, he was several houses up the street still flying his kite. The ice cream bell sounded just a little more merry and the day seemed a little brighter as I rode slowly along selling ice cream to the happy children."

We loved watching the Howdy Doody Show on TV. He was the cutest little fellow! Remember Buffalo Bob? How about Princess Summer Fall Winter Spring of the Tinka Tonka Tribe and Clarabell the Clown? Also, remember the song that started each show, "It's Howdy Doody time! It's Howdy Doody time! It's time to start the show, so kids LET'S GO!"

Retha, my younger sister, is taking a self-portrait standing in front of the Howdy Doody Ice Cream Car with a large mirror propped against the fence in our front yard. Tommy, my nephew, is wearing his fireman's hat while sitting the the Ice Cream Car. Tommy was born in 1951 and looks to be about two or three-years old in this picture.

I remember spending the day, occasionally, riding in the little ice cream cars. If I remember correctly, the only place available to sit was on top of the ice cream chest filled with ice cream and hot ice. It was lots of fun helping to sell ice cream to the kids. I remember opening the ice chest and vapor from the hot ice would flow up. I loved to open it an pull out an ice cream bar . The kids were always so excited to receive their treat. Those were the "good 'ol days" . . . especially when we were allow to get a ice cream whenever Mama came home! Yippee!

Labor Day Weekend Fireworks

What a beautiful fireworks display we watched at the Marina Saturday night. My son-in-law, Mark, works at the Marina on the lake and every year his boss and many of the customers chip in to give everyone a beautiful display of fireworks over the lake.