Loved the years I worked during high school at the Daisy Queen! It was located at third and Toluca next door to the Harris Sales building. (Then Gregory’s insurance). Darrell and Dixie Howell were the owners at that time. (Purchased from Nicholson’s). They lived in the house, and the Daisy Queen was on Third Street attached to it. There were 2 tables & about 15 stools at the counter, and of course the two windows facing the street to order from!
The soft serve ice cream was wonderful! Dip cones, Daisy Bars, Sodas, Malts you name it! What fun! Another thing always remembered was their awesome steak sandwiches, and Daisy Burgers, which were sort of like a BBQ, only it had a mustard sauce and relish in it. So yummy!
We treasured our regulars, Rosemary Keenen never missed a day, we would see her hit the door of Cover Jones and drop her fish sandwich…our coffee folks in the evening. Officer Lyle Grant would stop often to visit with Darrell Howell who also was a police officer.
Several of us girls who worked there then were in DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America). You could work and get credit, and in ‘77 we attended the state meet in Omaha. Four of us placed: Carolyn Burton, Deb Reeh, Shelly Lore and myself. Shelly and I worked at Daisy Queen, Dixie taught us well!
I think this was of one my most loved jobs, working with friends from High School, Dixie and Darrell were a second set of Parents and fun to hang with. Heck, we took Dixie Cruising the Butte with us one night….she had fun until we shot someone “the moon.” Now ya must know I was driving so it wasn’t me, it might have been her daughter. Also FYI…I could do it while driving and often did…just wasn’t me that time. Good thing my parents have passed, they would have killed me knowing this!
After Howells sold it, Steph had her studio there until she moved to Box Butte. It was all torn down, Gregory’s sold to Harris Sales…everything changed, but the memories and magic of that time will be forever with me.