An antique ice cream mold
In the middle of a 1944 January snow storm, when I was twelve, I was selling war bonds from door to door. I was trudging through knee-deep fresh snow because the roads hadn’t been plowed. As I forced my way, through big snow drifts, up to the door of the Fearon’s house, I could hear children laughing inside. Mrs. Fearon answered the door. They were celebrating her daughter’s (now Marie Chase) fifth birthday.
Even though I was covered with snow she invited me in for ice cream and cake. After I got my snowy clothes off, I went into the warm dining room which was decorated for Marie’s birthday. I remember colored, crepe-paper streamers attached to the chandelier. All the little girls had finger curls and bows in their hair. They were wearing fancy, fluffy party dresses and…they were eating ice cream and cake! I seldom had anything like this because of the wartime rationing of sugar. What a treat!
The ice cream was AMAZING. Each little girl was served a four-inch, realistic, frozen sculpture of a teddy bear, kitten, puppy, rabbit or another animal. There was a variety of colors and flavors. I had never seen shaped ice cream before, nor since. Molded ice cream was a specialty, made by Marie’s father who owned Fearon’s Ice Cream which he later sold to Sealtest.
These antique molds, once belonging to Marie’s grandfather, had been made of pewter. (Pewter was created from an alloy of tin and lead. In those days, no one knew of the danger of lead poisoning). After the molds had been filled with soft ice cream, they were stored in dry ice to freeze solid.
I talked to Marie’s mother last night on the telephone and she reassured me that the old-time molds had indeed been made of pewter. Those antique molds now decorate one of the walls in her kitchen. She is ninety-eight years old and still is asked often to give lectures on Bedford’s past. When she came to Florida last year she visited us. She had wonderfully interesting stories to tell.
From Janet’s sister, Alice: Janet didn’t sell a War Bond that day. This is not surprising. We didn’t live in suburbia with houses close to each other. Instead there were small farms dotted over the landscape. Janet probably canvassed a few square miles, walking long distances between houses. Perhaps the first time the families said, ”Yes”. Maybe they did the second time as well. However by the third, fourth, or fifth time, they would have to say, “No.”
I (Janet) am proud to say that, during World War II, I sold a lot of war stamps and war bonds, over and over to the same people.
As to Janet’s comment about my comment. …… None of us who know Janet are surprised at her continual success.
I love these old time stories. It takes me back to my childhood in the country and a time in a child’s life that was still full of hope and magic. A simpler time in history from a child’s point of view.