The Fruit Bowl Bet

(Its Not About Football)

[Updated October 19, 2009]

My Grandpa Vernie Ducklow passed away in 1961 at age 81 years.  He lived a full life, most of it around Spring Valley, Wisconsin.  It has been a bit difficult to find many stories about him, but here is one that is known:

In early 1907 Vernie and his pal Gideon Arneson were walking along the planks that formed the boardwalk [see footnote] of main street in Spring Valley. As they walked they came upon the display window of the Foss-Armstrong and Johns Hardware Company [see footnote].  This store was known for its hardware offerings, but it was also stocked with other merchandise too, including housewares that ranged from spatulas to flower vases.  Vernie and Gideon both paused and took notice of a very decorative and expensive fruit bowl prominently displayed in the store’s front window.  The beautiful glass bowl was handcrafted from translucent pink and white glass.  It had scalloped edges with gracefully curved sides and featured a hand-painted design of blue berries with gold-leaf flourishes.  The bowl sat ensconced in a four-legged base that connected to an ornate handle. The handle and base were masterfully crafted by a silversmith.  It was a piece of art and very stylish for that  period.

The Ornate Fruit Bowl 

Retailed at Foss-Armstrong-Johns Hardware Company, Spring Valley, Wisconsin

Manufactured circa 1906

Now it seems a bit odd that two single young men in there mid-twenties would stop and admire this beautiful fruit bowl.  But they did as you see that both were courting their future wives.  Neither one could afford to buy the bowl that day but each agreed that it would make a wonderful gift for one of their sweethearts.  Without means to purchase the bowl one would have thought this is where the conversation would have ended.  But apparently there was a bit of a rivalry between them regarding who would convince their respective girlfriend to marry them first.  One thing lead to another and soon a bet was on.  Right then and there they agreed that the first to marry would receive the bowl as a wedding gift from the other.

Vernon and Mina Ducklow Circa 1948

A few months later, on July 25, 1907, Vernie married Mina Bowen in Denver, Colorado (Vern was working at the machine shop for railroad at the time).  Eventually the newlyweds returned to Spring Valley and received many congratulations and well wishes along with a number of wedding gifts including one from Vernie’s pal Gideon.  Gideon had not forgotten about the bet he made several months prior.  He honored Vernie and Mina with the gift of the handcrafted fruit bowl with the silver handle that he had purchased at the Foss-Armstorng-Johns store.

Vernie and Mina cherished this wedding gift during their 54 years of marriage. The ornate bowl was likely one of the most valuable household possession that they ever owned, especially after losing much during the Great Depression.  Gideon Arneson did go on to marry too.  Federal Census records show that by 1910 he was wed a woman named Parmilia (Millie).  Like Vernie and Mina, Gideon and Millie spent their lives in and around Spring Valley and no doubt were friends with Vern and Mina through the years.

 The Rest of the Story

In 1961 Vernie passed away and by 1964 Mina became unable to care for herself and so she entered a nursing home.  In preparing for this, many of Mina’s household possessions went to her children including the ornate fruit bowl.  It was given to Mina’s daughter Audrey.  She and her husband Hank Thompson lived in Phoenix and so the bowl traveled from Spring Valley to Arizona in about 1964.   Sadly, just three years later Audrey passed away.  After Audrey’s death, the bowl had little meaning to Hank, and as Hank and Audrey had no children, he kindly gifted the bowl to Audrey's brother Vic.  Hank brought the bowl back to Wisconsin from Arizona in about 1970 during a vacation, but without the silver base.  He had not realized the bowl had a holder. For a while it was thought that the base was lost, but Hank later discovered it back in his home in Phoenix and then mailed it to Wisconsin.  Unfortunately, a slight bend of the handled occurred in shipping, but was expertly corrected by Vic. Without knowing the bend occurred, one could never tell.

Today the 100 plus year-old bowl with silver base and handle rests in an honored place in the Ducklow family.  It seems a bit of a miracle that this beautiful bowl has not been broken after all these years.  It is also a wonderful to know of how it came into the family so many years ago.

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Source: Pearl Neiderhauser Ducklow told this story to Jeff Ducklow October 11, 2009.

Footnote: Pedigree: Vernon George Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow

Footnote: Pearl Ducklow told this story referring to the hardware store as the Olsen-Wolf store.  This was the name of this mercantile when she was a young girl (1930s).  However, at the time of this story (1906-1907) it was owned by Foss who also owned a hardware store in Ellsworth, along with partners Armstrong and Daniel Boone Johns.  See page 419 of Doug Blegen's "Spring Valley Early Days" published in 1995.  The Foss-Armstrong-Johns hardware store location is now the present day location of the Spring Valley Drug Store; on the corner of 1st Street and McKay Avenue.

Footnote: Spring Valley did not have concrete sidewalks until the summer of 1910.  Up until then the walks were either dirt paths or elevated wood planks forming a boardwalk.  See page 209 of Doug Blegen's "Spring Valley Early Days."

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