MELTON'S GROCERY

A Treasure of Yesteryear

By Carolyn S. Peterson

Remember those days of the old country store? The

place where locals would congregate to discuss current

events, share a little gossip and catch up on the goings

on in the community? Sadly, the country store has gone the

way of the dinosaur for the most part, it is extinct. We

don’t have time to chat as we grab a Coke and a pack of

Nabs, or run in for some gum. We want what we want, now,

with no conversations (thus, the proliferation of a pharmacy

on every corner of every street). But one local country store,

Melton’s Grocery, owned and operated by 90 year old Madie

Melton, still offers a little ’chewing of the fat’ with each

purchase. Melton’s Grocery is a place of commerce and of

conversation.

Madie Melton has lived her life, for the most part, on Baux

Mountain Road. She attended elementary school at

’Grasshopper College,’ as Union Grove Elementary School

was called, and graduated in 1936 from Mineral Springs.

Melton recently attended her 70th High School reunion with 5

other students, from different graduating years in attendance.

As Madie Melton recalled, “We had to get several other

classes in the reunion to have enough to bother with.” For

most locals, it seems Madie Melton and Melton’s Grocery

have always been part of the community.

In 1942, Elmer Lee Melton opened a small grocery store on

Baux Mountain Road, with his brother Odell eventually

joining him with the daily operations. “Odell and I were

married in 1943, and were together just 5 days before he went

off to the War. When he came home, he helped his brother

run the store, until we started our family in 1950 with our

daughter, and in 1952 with our son. I told Odell that we

needed him at home, so I made up a schedule for him and his

brother to take turns at the store,” recalled Madie Melton. In

the early days, Melton’s Grocery carried luncheon meats,

canned foods, candies, gum and household items. One of the

most popular items was bologna, which Melton’s would sell

two pounds at a time to regulars dropping by.

Odell Melton passed away unexpectedly in 1962, leaving

Madie to be the proprietor. “I try to be here Monday through

Saturday from 7:30 AM until dark. Since I still drive myself,

most of the time, I like to get home before it gets too dark.

My license needs to be renewed this May 1st when I turn 91; I

hope I can get them again. I have a few regulars who still

come by, but a lot of the old customers have either passed

away or aren’t able to get here anymore. But I keep the same

hours, just in case,” stated Melton. Back in the day when

Melton’s Grocery sold gasoline, the customers weren’t so few

and far between, but gas pumps have been gone for quite a

few years.

Many years have passed since Madie took over the little store.

Her niece, Melissa Vaquera, has fond memories of getting off

the school bus as an elementary school student. “I loved

getting off the bus and coming in to see Aunt Madie. She’d

give me candy and I’d sit by the counter and read, as the men

in the area would come by and talk about all the current

events in the paper. When I moved to Texas as an adult, I was

so homesick. I wanted to come back home and see my Aunt

Madie and just sit and talk in the store, so that’s what I did,”

recalled Vaquera.

Today, Melton’s Grocery offers a few items to passersby. The

antique Coke cooler has the coldest soda around, the

refrigerator is stocked with candy bars, ice cream is available,

cigarettes are a big seller, and gum and candy are still in the

case. As always, the purchases made by customers are

secondary to the conversation. Many stop by just to check on

Madie. “Anytime I mention retiring, everyone tells me that I

can’t. Where would they go? So I keep on going and they

keep coming,” commented Melton. Although Melton is not

talking retirement, she has made her ’final arrangements,’ all

with a bit of humor. “I wanted to make sure that I had all my

last expenses covered, so I’ve picked everything out from the

casket to my dress. I asked the funeral director if I could

borrow the burial dress to wear to church and she said that

’as long as I brought it back, that would be fine.’ I told her

that I was just kidding,” stated Melton.

We miss so much today as we speed through our everyday

lives. No time for visiting, no need to converse. But for

Madie Melton and the regulars at Melton’s Grocery,

conversation and ’taking time’ to just ’pass the time’ is still

offered in this old country store, and will be until Madie gets

old enough to retire.

Melton’s Grocery is located at 7476 Baux Mountain Road.