Many milk customers paid for their milk daily or weekly by leaving coins inside the empty bottles they were returning. The coins were rolled in a special paper provided by the bank. Rolling the coins became another of my jobs. For my work in the milk house, I received all of the pennies. There were 50 pennies in a roll.
Most of my money went toward the purchase of Series E. U.S. Savings Bonds. These bonds cost $18.75. They matured after ten years and paid $25.00. Children could buy savings stamps at school for a dime each. The stamps were placed in a “stamp book” until there was enough to buy a bond.
I wanted a wrist watch and asked to buy one with some of my money. Dad was agreeable, but Mother felt it should not be permitted with a war going on. Dad persuaded her that I had earned the money “fair and square.” We shopped carefully at a jewelry stored owned by a milk customer. A special day came when I proudly walked out of Edwards Jewelry Store in Breckenridge the proud owner of an 18 jewel Bulova watch. I wore it daily until I was in college. It was taken to the jewelry store periodically to be cleaned and the band was replaced several times.
I do not remember the price of the watch or the price of milk at that time. My best guess for the price of milk is approximately 16 cents a quart.
Seven year old great- granddaughter, Madi Giffin, is wearing it in the picture.