Jello Pretzel Salad, Grace Peterman Cowger

In the summer of 1963, Grace Peterman Cowger and her three siblings organized an anniversary party for her parents. Clifford and Marian Peterman had wed on July 30th, 1913 in Princess Anne on the Eastern Shore where, like themselves, generations of Grace's family had lived and farmed.

The Salisbury Daily Times ran a photo of the couple, unsmiling but with his hand placed gently upon hers as she held out a knife to cut a beautiful layer cake.
Grace herself had been married for twenty-three years at that point, having married Vernon Cowger in 1940, when she was just 17.

Upon their own 50th anniversary in 1990, Grace and Vernon's daughter Charlotte continued the tradition of commemorating a half-century of her parents' marriage, and the Daily Times again printed a hand-in-hand cake-cutting photograph. It must have been a fun party, as evidenced by the cake on pillars above a champagne fountain, and balloons in the background. Charlotte surprised them with another party on their 60th anniversary in 2000, and the family celebrated again in 2005. Each time, the Times ran a photo of the proud couple.

In between the parties, there was life. According to the 1950 census, Vernon worked as a barber and Grace vaccinated chickens. Vernon would later go on to jockey horses. In 1978, Grace was profiled in the paper for her charity work, quilting with United Methodist Women, serving as director of Vacation Bible School, and working with the Salvation Army. This was all in addition to her day job with a courier company where Vernon also worked.

Grace's 2008 obituary mentions that she was a lifetime member of the Ayres United Methodist Church in Pittsville, but Old Friendship United Methodist Church was only a few miles away, and Grace provided two recipes for their 1980s cookbook "Country Classics Volume 2." Grace's recipes are for Strawberry Pie and for Jello Pretzel Salad, another strawberry-based dessert. Grace Cowger was an Eastern Shore woman, after all. Strawberries were in her DNA.

Vernon's family had moved from West Virginia to Pocomoke around 1926, and they put down roots. Vernon and six of his siblings are all buried in the area, as are the parents.

I already covered the history of Jello Pretzel Salad pretty thoroughly, but I couldn't resist the urge to pull a recipe from a community cookbook when I wanted to make it once again. Doing so exposes me to yet another world of someone else's anniversaries and cake-cutting, volunteering, living and dying; a few little glimpses into someone's humble normal life embedded deep in the fabric of Maryland's Eastern Shore.

A Culinary Tour of Green Mount Cemetery

I finally have the information together for this fall’s tour! I am currently thinking Saturday November 1st. It is a popular time to tour Green Mount but the cemetery is quite large and there should be room for all… plus we won’t be visiting the usual suspects. If you are in the Baltimore area and might be interested, please reply if you have any strong opinions on what you would like to hear about, see, engage with on this tour.

If you are NOT in the Baltimore area or are otherwise unable to make it, would you be interested in a virtual tour/map of this program? I have the elements together to do this but am having a hard time envisioning what form it will take.

Appearances, news, other tidbits:

This virgin sangria casts a spotlight on juicy summer peaches (Washington Post, subscription may be required)

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