Blodgett - Pierce Family --- Family Stories
Mother's Watermelon Pickles
by Alan Blodgett
My mother prided herself on her watermelon pickles. She annually made a big batch for our
church's annual bake goods sale. She would deliver her contribution to the church on the Sunday
preceding the sale. When she went to the actual sale, it seems, the powers that be had made
a major change in the sale to emphasize mostly children's clothing. Mother had missed the change
while she and father were in Florida for the spring term. At first she couldn't even find her
pickles but finally someone directed her to an obscure spot in the next room. Needless to say,
my mother was heart broken for the treatment of her efforts and prideful pickles. Few were sold.
The following Sunday she was approached by a lady that looked forward to buying her pickles
but had been disappointed by there seeming absence at the sale. Flattered by the ladies interest,
mother made arrangements to have some to sell her on the following Sunday. Word of mouth got
the scheme around and mother put the sales proceeds in a cigar box. As the year wore on she had
to make a second large batch of pickles to satisfy the demand. When the annual sale time came
the following year, mother delivered her cigar box to those accounting for the sales results.
It seems her contribution matched the entire sale proceeds, so the sponsoring group received
double the return and mother was the hero of the day. It was great recognition and a boost
to mother's self-esteem.
Alan Blodgett is the son of Forrest Milo Blodgett and Elsa Irene James.
and the grandson of Silas "Bird" and Clara (Pierce) Blodgett