Week 5 - Theme - In the Kitchen - John Schoenewald

 

2021 – 52 ancestors for 52 weeks

(challenge by Amy Johnson Crow)

 My challenge for 2021, I am writing 52 “stories” about my mother’s parents and paternal line instead of 52 ancestors.  I thought it would be a good way to get those stories onto the page for others to enjoy.

Theme: In the Kitchen

My Grandfather, John Schoenewald, owned a Café and Ice Cream Parlor sometime around 1948 – 1951.  The exact dates and location are unknown at this time.  More research needs to be done.  I see a road trip in the future!

I love this picture!  But I do wish we had more showing the actual Café.

John Schoenewald cooking at the Blue Bird Cafe

Blue Bird Café and Ice Cream Parlor

Located in Vale, Oregon (Eastern Oregon)

Owned by John and Emmeline Schoenewald

John was my Mother’s father.  My mother, Pat, was in High School when her parents owned this Café.  My mother’s sister, Darlene, was 12 years younger than my mom. Their stories are from different perspectives.

Darlene remembers the day when the Café was bought.  She was on a trip with her Mother, Emmeline, to Montana when John told Emmeline over the phone that he had bought a Café.   Darlene remembers her mother was worried and troubled over this news.

The Café: (quoted from Darlene)

“The entire front of the Blue Bird was big picture windows and a glass door, all facing along the sidewalk.  All the buildings were sandwiched together. Once inside, you could choose a dark blue bench seat from one of the booths lined up along the light blue walls on the right side. To the left, just beyond the soft ice cream machines and the display case for the frozen ice cream was a counter where hungry and thirsty patrons could step up and take a seat on the shiny silver chrome stools with round deep blue slick plastic seats.  Beyond the corridor on the other side of the counter was a half wall about four feet high filled with a large assortment of candy bars, suckers, gum, etc.  Beyond the goodies display was the grill and kitchen area.  It was a typical modern 50’s décor complete with a juke box.”

“Beyond the food service area and the juke box, you could walk towards the back of the building where it opened up into a recreation bonanza. There were pool tables, ping pong tables, shuffle board, pin ball machines, and more.”

The Café had a Juke Box (quote from Darlene)

“You could put your money directly into the juke box and make your selection or you could make your choice from the chrome boxes on each booth table. Just put your nickel in, push the button for the songs you wished to hear. For one nickel you could choose three songs”.

Ice Cream Parlor (quote from Darlene)

“John’s favorite thing was being creative with the ice cream. There were two soft service ice cream machines in the Blue Bird. In a day when ice cream was usually only offered in vanilla, chocolate or strawberry and soft ice cream was always vanilla, John took great enjoyment and pride inventing new ice cream flavors. Darlene remembers people coming in to inquire what flavor he was serving that day and John would gleam with pride and delight to extoll his latest creation. The flavor of the day was then frozen to join the selection of flavors in the freezer case of hard ice cream. The flavorings for the ice cream came from sources like the candies that were for sale in the café and syrups for making milkshakes and other drinks”.

The Girls in the Cafe

Since Darlene was still in grade school, she remembers having to just hang around after school until her Mother would take her home.  Boring for a little girl. However, the back door to the café led to the Library not far away so much of Darlene’s time would be spent there instead. Darlene soon realized that if she walked to the Cafe during her school lunch time, her father would feed her and she could save her lunch money for other things, like doll furniture. 

Since Pat was much older and had more responsibilities, she had to actually work at the Café after school.  If she wasn’t at the Café, she was home on the farm doing the chores that needed done, like milking cows, while her parents were working.

Both girls remember that their Mother didn’t really enjoy the Café but their father seemed to like it.

They also don’t remember going wild with the opportunity to have ice cream so handy at the Blue Bird.  Now me – I love ice cream!  Growing up I remember my father, Bob, would always want ice cream in the house.  I certainly got my love for ice cream from him.  It’s a good thing we didn’t have an ice cream parlor growing up.  That would have been dangerous!