|
Miss Jeanne Haynes
by Billy Phillips,
owner Bluebird Ice Cream Parlor,
Bell Buckle Tennessee
 Nestled in the rolling hills of middle Tennessee,
a country store and ice cream parlor stands,
dating back to 1886. At the turn of the century, in the quaint railroad town of Bell Buckle
(Pop. 453) , this store was the town's primary grocery and hangout for the locals and travelers.
You could get your groceries and find out the latest happenings and occasional gossip. Farmers
would sit on barrels and crates around the wood burning, pot bellied stove and play checkers
and discuss their crops. The ladies would bring in their grocery list and pick out the latest
calicos. Barefoot children would wait impatiently for hand dipped ice cream and penny candy.
The store had a wide array of offerings from fresh ground coffee beans, local produce, dry goods,
and country hams.
Even though the store could boast of old wooden floors, stock shelves, twelve foot counters
with glass top showcases, and a magnificent carved oak soda fountain bar with mirrors and
marble, the real jewel of the store was the owner, Miss Jeanne Haynes. The business name
of the store was Haynes Grocery, but everybody affectionately called it "Miss Jeanne's".
She and her sister, Miss Esther, and brother-in-law, Mr. Bill, operated the store. Miss
Jeanne was an old maid, but was a mother to all. Miss Jeanne was tall and thin in her
flour sack dress and her black clunky shoes. She wore a bun on the back of her head and
a smile on her face.
Miss Jeanne's kindness was evident through her gentleness to the Bell Buckle children.
But, she had a particular fondness for The Webb School boys. The young men from all
across the country were in Bell Buckle to be educated at the private college prepatory
school. The boarding students would sometimes become home sick. Miss Jeanne knew each
boy by name, and would take them under her wing. She always had an ear to listen, or
a shoulder to cry on.
The memory her clientele would treasure most was the size of the scoops of ice cream
she dipped. They were huge! For just one nickel, she would pile a quart of ice cream
on a cone and say "If that's not enough, let me know." Not only was she a generous
woman, Miss Jeanne was a good businesswoman as well. To entice her customers to pay
their accounts, she would give them a half-gallon of ice cream. Miss Jeanne's kindness
was extended to many patrons, too numerous to mention. She always had groceries and
a kind word for you whether you had money or not.
One of Miss Jeanne's young patrons was a little chubby boy named Billy Phillips. His mother,
Nancy, would let him come downtown for ice cream every other day. Little did she know, but
Billy went to town every day for a luscious treat. For over five years, Miss Jeanne gave
Billy free ice cream on the odd days.
Eventually, Miss Jeanne retired and the store changed hands several times. The one constant
that remained through the various businesses was the carved oak soda fountain bar and the
memory of Miss Jeanne.
In the year 2000, the store would be for sale again. Remember the chubby little boy who
ate free ice cream? Yes, Billy Phillips bought the store and began collecting the store
fixtures. One by one, he obtained the pot belly stove, the coffee mill, and the old green
scales. The spirit of Miss Jeanne came back to life with all the marvelous memories these items evoked.
 Billy Phillips and his family, Mama Phillips, Daddy Phillips, and Uncle Alfred now operate
the store as BlueBird Antiques and Ice Cream Parlor. The store features architectural artifacts,
country painted primitives, country store collectibles, hand dipped ice cream, and vintage
Bluebird China. Miss Jeanne's ice cream tradition continues with decadent sundaes, ice cream
sodas, and wonderful homemade waffle cones prepared by Uncle Alfred. Rich, creamy fudge is
made by Daddy, and fresh baked cookies are made by Mama. When she is not baking cookies,
Mama is making her exquisite hand colored embroidery linens with hand crocheted lace.
When the Phillips family is not busy, they sit on the porch and visit with the many
travelers from across the country who visit the tiny town of Bell Buckle. And just
like Miss Jeanne, they always have an ear to lend and a kind word to say.
The BlueBird Ice Cream Parlor is a slice of true Americana....the place you only
thought existed in your mind. The BlueBird is open daily to serve southern hospitality
one dip at a time. Come and meet the Phillips family in their century old landmark.
Blue Bird Ice Cream Parlor
15 Webb Rd. W.
Bell Buckle, TN 37020
931-389-6549
|
