Friday, June 10, 2011

Howard's Drive -In Memories, Death of Mabel Disney Kendrick

West Brookfield is home to a popular drive-in restaurant which serves the best the area has to offer in fried clams and scallops, onion rings, and rotisserie chicken.  Howard's Drive-In was opened by brothers Howard and Billy Brodeur on Route 9 in 1947.  Howard sold the restaurant in 1973, and today it is still open, to the delight of local residents and visitors.  Friday evenings, especially in hot weather, business is booming as customers stop by for dinner and/or ice cream.

Working there as a teenager, I sliced many, many pounds of onions on the slicer, made lots of frappes, and ate lots of scallops and onion rings.  I make it a point to go there at least once when visiting in town.

June 10 Died
Mabel (Disney) Kendrick, daughter of Frank and Eleanor (Winslow) Disney was born in Worcester, MA on 02 Nov. 1881. She graduated from English High School and Worcester State Normal School and taught school in Westminster Depot, West Brookfield and New Braintree. She married Webster Lawrence Kendrick in Worcester on Sept. 6, 1913 and moved to his home in West Brookfield.

Mabel was a news correspondent for The Springfield Republican and very active in civic and church affairs in West Brookfield. A member of the First Congregational Church, she belonged to the Martha Guild, and taught Sunday School there for many years. Mabel also was a member of the Worcester Chapter of the Red Cross, the West Brookfield Grange, and the Stella Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. She was a
member of the board of Trustees of the Merriam Public Library, and also served a three year term on the town school committee.

Mabel died on June 10, 1937 after a long illness, leaving her husband and one son, Webster Lawrence Kendrick, Jr. She was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery.

I do have more information about the Kendrick and Disney families.  Please use the Request for Information tab, fill out the form, and scroll down to click on Submit if you would like to receive copies of family obituaries or other family information.

Quaboag Current
I always make it a point to read the Quaboag Current online edition on Fridays.  This local publication helps me to stay in the know about the interesting people and events in town.