Small Town, Pennsylvania 1950s - The Milkman & Bonus - Latest Photos of my Great-Grandchildren

I was so fortunate to grow up in the 50s. We lived in a small friendly town – the same town where I still reside. The mailman delivered mail twice a day. The owner of the small grocery store where my mother shopped delivered groceries. The bread man delivered bread and special ordered baked goods, and, of course, Herb, the milkman, delivered milk and milk products. I can visualize the early summer mornings when school was out. My sister and I were still in bed and the windows were open. My bedroom was above the back porch and the scent of the honeysuckles growing on the side of the porch permeated the air. I remember the clatter of Herb the milkman - the slamming of the doors on his white panel truck and the clang of milk bottles. Herb made deliveries in our neighborhood two or three times a week. We had a box that was insulated on the front porch where Herb put the milk. The milk was in quart glass bottles.

Mom set the clean empty bottles in the box. Herb would take the empty bottles and exchange them with full bottles. There was either homogenized or pasteurized milk. My mother preferred homogenized. The pasteurized was a few cents cheaper and had a little stripe of whole cream at the neck of the bottle. Before drinking, it was necessary to shake up the milk. We often got butter, cream, cottage cheese and even eggs. My little sister loved chocolate milk and was ecstatic when Mom ordered it from the milkman. It was so much better than the chocolate milk that we made with Nestles Quick. Herb’s arrival usually brought out several of the housewives in the neighborhood. The ladies would stop their daily chores long enough to visit with Herb and get caught up on the news around town. Herb’s route spanned the entire small town and its outskirts. He enjoyed the opportunity to share news with these women who were his friends. During that wonderful era, the mothers were home during the day. Life was slower paced. Families had one car and the dads used the car to drive to and from work. Our neighborhood was full of kids and our time was consumed with riding our bikes and playing games. Eventually, the milkman ceased to be. Herb got a job in the hospital from where he retired about 15 years ago. He is still alive and lives a block away. He must have been very, very young when he delivered milk. Herb used to stop by to "shoot the bull" with Hubby. He always mentioned delivering milk to our family and other families in the neighborhood.

I have a few old milk bottles. They bring back wonderful memories!

BONUS
Granddaughter Erin e-mailed these pictures of her children to me this evening. I couldn't wait to show you!!

My Great-Granddaughter Jocelyn

My Great-Grandson Jacob