An Ozarks Fourth of July by Donal Mahoney
An Ozarks Fourth of July World War II was over but still fresh in the minds of folks who lived in Bill’s hometown in the Ozarks. Independence Day was important. It called for a celebration. When his father had the money, and that was rare, he would buy a lamb for the Fourth of July. He'd roast the animal on a spit in the yard, turning it slowly and dousing it with mop sauce. Bill was 10 on the Fourth in 1948. His job was to make the ice cream turning the crank on the freezer. His relatives would watch in the yard and laugh and yell when he had to pause and go to the bathroom. Banana ice cream, his father’s favorite, had to be just right. Never stop turning the crank. In 1948, there were no parades in town or concerts on TV. No television sets back then and the town was too small for a parade. But after the Great War, people ...