Page 68 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote (2001) H. Morris Williams

week.

Mr. Wieselthaler saved the money he made on the hotel contract and bought a horse and
buggy, and more cows. Now he could recruit more customers, and his business grew.

During this time, Caroline was growing up and was going to school at the “old brown
building” on West Duval Street. She had to walk about ten miles round trip every day to go to

school. One day her father bought her a small horse she kept at a bam near the school while she was
in classes.

Then, at age 15, Caroline quit school to help deliver milk. She was such a good worker that
the dairy grew from thirty customers daily to over three-hundred customers. To serve the new
customers, she bought a used car, converted it to a truck, and personally delivered milk door-to-door

to three-hundred customers every day for thirteen cents a quart.
She also treated her customers to personal “extras,” like German pastries at Christmas and

colored eggs in a basket at Easter.
Caroline worked from before daylight until after dark every day at the dairy but she always

found time for religion. When the Presbyterians started Paloma Mission near the Gum Swamp
Road, Caroline became active in that church. At Christmas and Easter, she would decorate and

direct religious pageants in the tiny church — which, by the way, is now the living room of Kenneth
and Mabel Wolford, who built their home around it.

Caroline operated her dairy for forty years, always providing the richest, sweetest milk - and
the sweetness of her countless personal touches to her customers. Then in 1961, after a lifetime of

hard work, she sold her cows and her route and the Wieselthaler Dairy became history.
My thanks to Caroline, and to Ed Montgomery, for educating me to the details of this

fascinating account of “the milk lady” so I could share it with you.

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