Isn't this just the sweetest porcelain figurine of an "Early Harvey Girl" dating back to 1910. This belonged to my Husband's dear Grandma "Grandma
Rohse". I inherited her after Grandma passed away. I
believe this figurine dates back to the late 1930's.
She stands 3 1/2 "
small. I did not know much about the Harvey Girl, so I look her up on the
Internet, this is what I found out.
Originally trains in the West did not offer meal service, leaving the passengers to fend for themselves at mealtimes. This situation gave rise to
exploitation, and passengers were soon victimized by poor food and high prices if they could find anything.
Fred
Harvey decided there was a better way, and established a series of
restaurants on the Santa Fe lines. Trains would stop, allowing passengers to get a good meal for a reasonable price in clean surroundings.
The Fred Harvey Company would recruit women via newspaper ads from towns and cities across the U.S. The women had to be of good moral
character, have at least an eight grade education, display good manners and be neat and articulate to work in his restaurants. In return for
employment, the Harvey Girls would agree to a six month contract, agree not to marry and abide by all
company rules during the term of
employment if hired, they were given a rail pass to get to their Company chosen destination.
Harvey Girls were the women who brought respectability to the work of
waitressing, They left the protection and poverty of home for for the opportunity to travel and earn their own way in life while
experiencing a bit of adventure.
On the way home from shopping on Saturday, we stopped off at our favorite little strawberry field right by our home. The strawberry's are picked daily and if they run out someone will pick as much as you want right from the field behind the little strawberry hut. So with nine baskets of delicious fresh strawberry's sitting on my lap while Gary drove, I said to him how about "Strawberry Pie". Now coming from me those words are hardly spoken since I never have time to bake. But that very moment in time something crazy came over me!
I baked, well sort of I used the frozen Marie Calender pie shells.
Of course washed and sliced all the strawberry's, and added the strawberry glaze.
And "LOOK" what I did, I made two pies. Oh yes I did. Gary was in shock, I called Mom and Dad and said stop by after Church I have a surprise for you. Mom was in suspense, when they arrived I opened the refrigerator door and said do you see something!... Mom was so happy! One pie for Mom and Dad and one pie for Me and Gary. 
Oh, I forgot one of the best parts to show you the whip cream of course.
This is the after and before picture of the stained glass. I had already taped and covered the glass and was ready to start painting and then I 
