Memory isn’t serving me well in recalling this story, so I will solicit help. The event was a birthday party for a fellow classmate, a little girl whose name might have been Sharon, but I don’t remember exactly. Her family operated the 3 Rs restaurant which was the venue for her celebration. The 3 Rs was located outside of Mt. Gilead, Ohio towards Cardington.
Attending the party at that location required a parent to drive out there, drop off, and to then return at the end of the party. In those days, that was sort of a big deal. I remember my phone # was 307R. (307th line, rural). It was a party line and if you picked up the phone, someone might already be there talking.
Anyway, they decorated the place with balloons and crepe paper. That was the second time I had seen such decorations as the first time was at Dicky Vail’s birthday party. That’s another story.
The memorable thing about this party was the ice cream and cake. At home, we made our own ice cream, but this was restaurant ice cream, and the brand name, I believe was “Velvet.” I remembered Velvet ice cream when my friend Bill Noble recalled that he lived in Utica, Ohio that is home to the ice cream company.
The cake was white and they served it with chocolate ice cream. It was delicious and something special to remember.
Do my friends remember the 3 Rs? How about that little girl who's party it was? Was anyone else there?
Along the way, trying to locate an image of the 3 R’s that appeared to be an old house, that may have been painted light green or gray at time, I discovered an obituary of Mary Mattingly who once operated the restaurant probably just the years before the birthday party.
She was a Sprague and a Ramsey. Sprague was in my mother’s family and Ramsey is the married name of Mary Petrie. (By the way, Mary Ramsey, your Dad, Dr. John Petrie and my Dad flew PBMs in WWII.)
“Mary A. Mattingly, 91, formerly of Fulton, Ohio died Monday November 14, 2005 in Woodside Village Care Center in Mt. Gilead.
She was born on March 28, 1914 in Auglaize County near Buckland, Ohio, the daughter of the late John A. and Alice M. Sprague Ramsey. She moved here from Medina in 1951. Mrs. Mattingly operated the 3 R’s Restaurant near Mount Gilead from 1951-53, worked for North Electric in Galion for 5 years, and operated the Fulton Carry-Out for 7 years. She was a former member of the Fulton Rebekkah Lodge.
She is survived by two sons; James (Marie) Mattingly of Naples, Florida and Thomas Mattingly of Fulton, Ohio; four daughters; Sandra and her late husband Bill Lanum of Fulton, Ohio, Alice (Joe) Pukansky of Cardington, Ohio, Marlene (Gene) Pearl of Lexington, Ohio, and Linda Toth of Sebring, Florida; 25 grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and a sister Helen Gorman of Alexandria, Indiana.
She was preceded in death on Dec. 29, 1987 by her husband James N. Mattingly, whom she married Nov. 10, 1934. She was also preceded in death by three brothers; Joe, Irvin & John Ramsey, and three sisters; Bernice Rent, Opal Adams and Ethel Graham.”
There will be more stories inspired by birthday parties,
We attended this school in Mt. Gilead, Ohio
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