My mother always called scalloped potatoes wash-day potatoes. When she was growing up, they lived in a converted barn with a wood burning stove. On wash day the top of the stove was dedicated to heating water for washing clothes, which meant the potatoes had to be cooked in the oven.

This was near Springville, Utah during the depression. The bank had repossessed the home they had because the steel mill closed and my grandfather couldn't make the mortgage payments. They converted the barn to makeshift living quarters, and the Latter Day Saints Relief Society helped feed them. There were 12 children and now only three are still living.

Both of Milton’s parents came from pioneer Mormon families, and one of his uncles possesses the Masonic apron that belonged to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism.

My column on breakfast food a while back got a nice response from a 93-year-old lady from Quinlan named Salley Meier.  Here’s her memory of breakfast from 85 years ago.

My parents had a cast iron coal stove on which my mother simmered our oatmeal overnight. Stove was on legs that rested on a solid cement slab in the kitchen. In the morning you'd find our cat stretched out under the stove, a really warm spot.

When warmer weather came and we had cold flaky cereal, my sister and I would save any ice cream that our grandfather usually bought for us on a visit the night before and pour that melted, soupy ice cream on the cereal. Ice cream was a real treat back then, as there were no box stores with 20 flavors, only small local grocery stores.

Another thing I remember was we always had orange juice for breakfast. Back then castor oil was taken as a cleansing element after birthday parties and other rich indulgences, and my mother would put it in the orange juice. After awhile to me the orange juice always tasted like castor oil, so I didn't drink it for years.

Both Salley Meier and Milton Knight said they enjoyed reading my column, and that was nice to hear.  One of my friends who has been in the newspaper business for almost fifty years tells me that for every person who takes the time to let you know they read your column, there are at least 100 more who read it but don’t stop to tell you.

I’m working on a column about memories of favorite snack foods and desserts that old-timers like me remember.  I recall that cornbread left over from lunch (we called it “dinner”) crumbled in a glass of fresh milk was a great snack.  My favorite dessert was lemon icebox pie, made with Eagle brand condensed milk and fresh lemon juice.  What were your favorites?

Jerry Lincecum is a retired English professor who now teaches classes for older adults who want to write their life stories.  He welcomes your reminiscences on any subject: jlincecum@me.com