This is the story of Bill’s Cafe owned by Edwin Fecher and run by his sister, Bill Short, as narrated by Bill.
Edwin was working at Little Rock out at Camp Robinson near Levy and decided to start a business of his own. He was 22 years old and had his 23rd birthday the month it was opened, which was August, 1938.
We were still living at home with our parents at Stony Point. Our sister, Thyla, entered the TB sanatorium the same year.
Edwin had seen the ice cream store at Levy so he took me there and we learned how to make ice cream.
Edwin rented a building in downtown Beebe owned by Lightle and Lightle of Searcy (attorneys). No other places around made ice cream at that time.
We had two long freezer chests one with very low temperatures to harden the cream and one for dipping. The ice cream mix was delivered to us in 10 gallon cans. We also bought the different flavors in gallon cans. We had many flavors, tutti fruiti, orange, pineapple, butterscotch, butter pecan just to mention a few. The mix was frozen and run into the 10 gallon cans.
I had never worked in the public and was engaged at that time so naturally I was not very happy at the beginning. Edwin was working and driving back and forth so we both were putting in long hours. At first it was really hard but got better. I worked many 18 hours days. Once Edwin brought in Mr. H. M Dodds Sr., who worked with Edwin, unknowingly to me, to observe me. Edwin wanted to know how I met the public, etc.
At that time J. T. Fecher operated a cream station in back of someone’s store so I rode in with him. Marylee Fecher-Logan started working with us at the ice cream store. Edwin was also working with Grover Kloss at that time and we hired his daughter, Lorene Kloss to work on weekends.
We dipped lots of ice cream. Saturdays were very busy days. We had tables and chairs and booths. The interior was painted in bright colors, blue and white, and created an inviting atmosphere. We served ice cream in little cups, half pints, pints, and quarts in addition to cones. We had plain cones and sugar cones. People came in from surrounding communities to shop especially on Saturdays and Saturday nights. All through the years I still meet older people who tell me how they enjoyed sitting down to eat a pint of their favorite ice cream. We sold bottled drinks too. That’s when I learned there were drinks besides coca colas, we had Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Orange Crush and many more for a nickel per bottle.
At this time a neon sign was out front that read “Bill’s Ice Cream Parlor”. Edwin gave the place its name. I was kind of pretty and somewhat of a flirt and I guess Edwin thought that would be a drawing point. Ha!
Business was good. Fall came along and Edwin decided to add a short order eating place. The store was out front. This is when the name was changed to “Bill’s Cafe”. We served sandwiches, many five and ten cent hamburgers, soup, chili, half and half ( soup and chili mixed). Breakfast was served, fifteen cent plate lunches and on Sundays a dinner for 25 cents with homemade pie.
J. T. started coming in at 5:00 am with me and worked until he opened his business at 8:00 am. We made pies and I will say they really looked delicious. J. T. beat the egg white by hand and they really looked good!
There were two drug stores in town and they had tables and sold ice cream from Searcy, Yarnells, or Bordens from Little Rock and fountain drinks.
We gave them plenty of competition. We served milk shakes, malts, etc. We also had candy, cigarettes, and other things. There were no drive-ins at that time. There were other cafes but they sold beer. Our’s was a different type cafe. It was a hang out for the school kids and college students too. Many couples met and started dating in the place. On those nights when there were ball games or other school activities we had standing room only. We had curb service too. The cars parked in front and blew their horns or blinked their lights and we car hopped.
Ervin Powers was our first cook. He taught me to cook. He worked seven days a week at $1.00 per day. He also taught me to drink coffee. He was really good! During that time we had more help – some stayed awhile and some did not. They worked at the beginning for $2.50 a week – five days that is. They got one meal free and too many cokes, coffee, and ice cream. Edith Fecher, Ona King, Verna Corbett and others were some who worked. Helen Langley, Butch Latture’s mom, worked a while. She was a beautiful girl, was married and separated with a baby. I double dated with her some. We had school kids to work part time.
Edwin and Geneva got married in 1940. Carl who I was engaged to died after a lengthy illness in 1939. Edwin and Geneva moved the ice cream machine to Conway and opened a business there. They lived in an apartment in back of their store. Ron and Edna Edwards moved with them while getting things ready.
Edwin delivered ice cream to us two or more times a week. He had chests at other businesses, Cypress Valley, Greenbrier, and others who he sold to. They lived in Conway for 10 years. Dennis was born while they lived there. By that time Ron and Edna had come back home and Edwin and Geneva had moved to an apartment on Donaghey St.. Their first baby sitter was an old lady who shared an apartment in the same house with her husband. When Dennis was older he spent afternoons in the theater watching movies.
Sometime before Christmas of 1940 the National Guard, under the leadership of “Mac” Young, were training to go to Alaska. There were 28 men in training. They slept at the armory two weeks and we contracted to feed them three meals a day. While doing this we served their Christmas dinner. We did serve them a glass of wine that day. I had a scrap book that all signed. I don’t know what happened to it.
Sometime about this time Edwin decided to stay open 24 hours per day. A Mr. and Mrs. “Shorty” Small (Sadie was his wife’s name) came to Beebe in a camper van. Edwin hired them for the night shift. He was sort of arrogant but his wife Sadie had a good personality. I can’t remember just how long they worked.
In 1941 Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7th and so many were going to war. Edwin decided to move across the street to a larger building, but business continued to fall off. When we moved Dr. Garrett built a new business on Front St. now Center St. He put in a cafe and hired the Small’s to operate it.
When we were in the larger building Eula and Bula Duggar were our cooks – also Mabel Fisher.
Many people worked at the Ordnance Plant at Jacksonville and ate breakfast with us. We had to have coupons for so many things because everything was rationed. We bought our meat from the Warren Grocery Store and they were really nice to us. When they had extra coupons they shared them with us. So many people were gone and the other cafe did not help so Edwin decided to sell to Eula and Bula. They moved into a building on Center Street. This was in 1944.
I worked eleven months at the Ordnance Plant and the war ended. We were making ammunition. I then went to Little Rock in the fall of 1945 and started working for Southwestern Bell until 1950. I had married in 1947 while Harold was in medical school.
Edwin and Geneva moved to Beebe when Dennis was six years old and put in the meat locker plant.
One thing I failed to mention we had a nickelodeon and pinball machines. Once I caught a boy who was supposed to be helping the music machine man taking money.
During the six years I roomed down town most of the time. But I would go back home at Stony Point and drive back and forth. I had a 1934 Ford. The city law, Perry Head, gave me a gun once to carry but I was afraid to do that. I was always with the money bag. He would follow me to the Barrentine station late at night for my protection.