When I was in elementary school in Saginaw, Michigan, back in the
1950's, Paul Davis was my neighbor as well as classmate. Paul's birthday
is December 16th. Every year for his birthday treat he would take to school
wonderful Santa face cookies, complete with raisin eyes and coconut beards.
I would always make sure to walk home with Paul on those days, just in
case someone had been absent and he had an extra cookie or two. Somehow,
one cookie survived long enough for me to show my mother. She got the
recipe from Paul's mother and bought the special cookie cutter at Morley
Brothers, our wonderful all-purpose department store.
Over the years, my mother and I would continue to make these cookies.
After I got married in the mid-60's, I bought my own cookie cutter. We had
three daughters and the cookies remained a must-do at Christmas time. I was
a stay-at-home mother in those days and would make the Santa cookies for my
daughters' class parties. Some special teachers would get a plate of them
years after they taught our daughters. Eventually, my mother gave me her
Santa cookie cutter and I guarded both of them because Morley's had closed
years before and we never saw anything even resembling these wonderful
Santa faces.
Several years ago in late December, I had made several batches and the
two plastic cutters were sitting on the cupboard waiting to be handwashed
and put away for another year. Well, my oldest daughter decided to help
out by loading the dishwasher. You guessed it ... the two treasured plastic
cutters came out distorted and totally unusable. I was sick!
For some reason, I had kept the original paper insert from the cookie
cutter box. So, I knew that they were from Aunt Chick's in Tulsa,
Oklahoma. Now, it was time to see if that company was still in business.
Honestly, I wasn't optimistic but if I couldn't replace them, then a
long-standing tradition had come to an abrupt halt.
That January, I wrote to the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce and inquired
about Aunt Chick's cookie cutters. I enclosed a copy of the insert that
I'd kept for so many years. Within days I received a reply. They even
sent me newspaper clippings about Aunt Chick (she had died in 1982) and
they told me that the cookie cutters were still available at The Final
Touch in Tulsa. They also told me that Aunt Chick's granddaughter, Pat
Kimbrel, had taken over the business and it was now called Chickadees
Cookery Company in Irving, Texas.
I was elated! I phoned The Final Touch and explained what had
happened and said that I wanted to buy TEN Santa cookie cutters. The woman
told me that they were only available in sets (Santa, star, tree,
stocking.) But I didn't want the other designs and couldn't afford to buy
ten SETS.
So, I decided to call Chickadees Cookery Company. I was able to talk
with Pat Kimbrel and tell her about the happy memories connected with her
grandmother's cookie cutters. She said that she hoped to get them back
into distribution once again. Through Pat I was able to buy four Santa
cutters. Then, several weeks later, I received a note from The Final Touch
saying that they found six Santa cutters and asked if I still want them.
I phoned to say "Yes!" and sent a check. So, within about four months
I went from having no Santa cutters to having ten, the exact number that
I stated that I wanted in the first place!
It was wonderful to be able to do business with two women who went out
of their way to satisfy a customer. And, now the family tradition of the
Santa face cookie cutters continues not only in our house but also in the
home of our oldest daughter, who has since married. At this point, it's
three generations strong.
So, Happy Birthday, Paul Davis, this December 16th wherever you are.
I'll bet you just never knew that your old friend, neighbor and classmate
would perpetuate the cookie tradition for nearly a half-century. Thanks to
you and your mother and with the help of some dear women in both Oklahoma
and Texas, we'll be enjoying our very special Santa cookies for many years
to come.
Sometimes you just never know how many lives you affect or for how
many years the influence will be felt. Merry Christmas from Kentucky.
