81-year-old Patsy Garcia and her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, recently made memories while eating breakfast at a Retro diner. Without a firm plan, they found themselves turning in at Ginger Browns Old Tyme Restaurant and Bakery. Ginger Browns is a popular retro-themed diner, decorated with a collection of vintage cookie jars. It is located in Lake Worth, Texas and the sign at the cash register reads: “Memories and Meals are Served Here”
Patsy and Elizabeth sat in one of the retro booths, complete with a working table-top jukebox. Shelves filled with a collection of vintage cookie jars sat side-by-side on the long shelf high above their booth.
Fond memories of the past came flooding back for Patsy. She scanned each cookie jar, She was searching to see if the 1950s Brush McCoy Cow with Winking Kitten sitting on top, was among this collection. Patsy gave this now highly-collectible cookie jar to her mother in 1953, when she was 11 years old. She said it lived on top of her mother’s refrigerator for many years. Patsy’s mother passed, at the age of 104 years old, in 2017. Before her death, she told her, “I need to give the cookie jar back to you.” Patsy took the jar back and passed it down to her daughter, who cherishes and uses it to this day. Texas Vintage Shopper offers directions to 820 Antique and Vintage Shops that carry collectibles from the past. Check it out here Find 820 Texas Vintage Shops
Patsy bought the Brush McCoy Cow Cookie Jar with Winking Cat sitting on top in 1953. She lived in Odessa, Texas, and often, visited the neighborhood Mott’s Five and Dime Store.
Mott’s Five and Dime Store: The Store that sold Brush McCoy Vintage Cookie Jars
According to an article posted on March 21, 2022, by Hometown by Handlebar, Mott’s was part toy store, part hardware store, and part department store. Most 11-year-olds never looked past the Duncan yoyos, paddle balls, and jacks sets, but Patsy visited the aisles with the adult stuff. The stuff like piece goods, picture frames, and the now highly-collectible Brush McCoy Cookie Jars. Patsy spotted the McCoy cookie jar one day and knew she had to get it for her mother.
She didn’t have enough money to buy it, but Mott’s had a solution for Patsy. They offered the layaway plan. Patsy was able to put down her few cents deposit, then make payments until the cookie jar was paid for. She was never happier than when she was finally able to present it to her mother.
Mott’s was the excitement of saving up .5 and.10 cents and then having the freedom to spend it in the toy aisle. It was riding your bike with your friends every Saturday to Fair East to spend a $1 allowance, eating lunch at Wyatt’s, buying an ice cream cone at Ashburn’s, and still having enough money left for Mott’s.
Retro Diner: Ginger Brown’s Old Tyme Restaurant and Bakery
Ginger Brown’s Old Tyme Restaurant and Bakery opened in 1986. It is known for its homemade, mouth-watering cinnamon rolls. These rolls are big enough to split between 2 to 3 people. This restaurant offers home-style comfort food such as pot roast, chicken fried steak, and big breakfast plate combos of eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, and stacks of hot cakes.
