Kay Conklin’s April 19 column brought back to me some wonderful memories of Delaware. I grew up on South Section Line Road and went to Delaware at least a couple times a month from 1964-1986. The era I would be most familiar with, then, is the late 1970s and early 1980s; however, I recognized almost every business Kay mentioned in her column from an earlier era!
She mentioned Uhlman’s; this store for women’s clothes was on Winter Street in the 1960s; it had an upstairs, and I can recall buying my mother expensive leather gloves for Christmas, and my father selecting a very fancy robe with shiny plum-colored buttons. Later, there was the Style Shop on the west side of Sandusky Street (I got the dresses I wore for special events there). Kay also mentioned the Boston Store, which was at least partially on West Winter Street. I was a Girl Scout, and this was the place to buy all the proper gear.
Kay mentioned the News Shop, where I remember my mother buying us paper dolls after a trip to the dentist, and my sister purchased records. But I also remember the U.S. Royal Blue grocery store, as well as the Nectar Candyland. Though the U. S. Store was not our regular store, we sometimes stopped in there for something special — it could have been Thanksgiving turkey. We always got Easter and Valentine candy at the Nectar Candyland, which I still think made the best candy in the world.
My father bought clothes at Wilson’s and the People’s Store, but also at Parker’s, which Kay did not talk about. It was on the west side of Sandusky Street. I also remember New Method Cleaners, for they had a van that picked up my father’s clothes and took them to Delaware to be cleaned!
Not being an adult when I lived around Delaware, I never ate a meal at Bun’s till I was grown up, and though I remember the sign for the L K Restaurant, I do not remember ever going inside. However, I did go to the historic Hamburger Inn when I was about 20, and the car broke down. While waiting for my dad, I walked downtown and had dinner there. I am always pleased to see it is still present. Though I have only eaten at Bun’s a couple times, we got bakery items there about once a month. While the chocolate cakes were wonderful, my father really loved the orange chiffon cake. There was also wonderful angel food with strawberry icing, and fried cinnamon rolls my mother loved. We also regularly bought salt-rising and honey butter bread. I was obsessed with the imported teas and candies the bakery sold, too. We frequently bought things like black currant candy for Father’s Day and such.
I wish Kay and I could go back together and buy some hats at Uhlman’s.
Susan Wood
Uehling, Nebraska
