Treats for kids

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Treats for kids

For as long as I can remember, my grandfather has eaten a bowl of ice cream every night and has since he was a child. Blue Bell’s Homemade Vanilla ice cream is the favorite culprit, sometimes with some frozen pecans or a little chocolate syrup, or as a Dr. Pepper float.

This habit started at the Hamilton Store, which was on Hwy 287 near the current location of the Eureka Masonic Lodge but has subsequently been torn down, replaced by a house.

The school bus would stop at the store, dropping off several kids. The Rash kids would get off the bus, go into the store to buy ice cream and snacks before getting back on the bus for the rest of the ride home. They would charge them to their father's account. Ice cream cones, RC Colas with Zero Bars crushed in them, and Coca Colas with peanuts in them were some of their favorite snacks. He used to tell us one of his favorites was to get an ice cream cone in each hand then smush the dips together and use the cones as handles.

Today, there is no way the school would allow a bus to stop at a store, let the kids off to get snacks, before getting back on the bus for the rest of the ride home!

During the ’40s when this story takes place, there were multiple schools as part of Mildred ISD. There was an elementary school in the communities of Providence, Little Mildred, and Navarro while the high school was at the current location of Mildred High School.

The Little Mildred School was located off FM 637 and SECR 3010. It caught fire and burned one day in 1943 while kids were in school. When it burned, my grandfather said he ran back inside to grab his coat and a boat that he and his daddy made and the roof caved in right after he ran back out of the building. After the fire, the kids were moved to Providence. 

All the schools shared a bus system.

One day, Mr. Hamilton asked Emmett if he was sure he wanted the kids to charge all these sweets and candy. If Emmett didn’t want the kids to have the sweets, he would tell the kids they were unable to charge. This occurred in the ’40s and many people were poor, the Rashes among them. Emmett replied, “Let them have whatever they want and just send me the bill."

Emmett came up with other ways to treat the kids. They worked hard on the farm, especially during the harvest. He would often plant cantaloupe and watermelon in the cotton fields so the children would have a treat as they worked the fields and picked the cotton.

We talk about the little things in life that can make a world of difference. The kids worked hard on the farm in addition to going to school and a little treat here and there can be a big deal to a kid. Emmett found a way to treat his kids in good times and bad.

Emmett Rash




 

 

 

 

 

 

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