THE HOODS OF LILLIE MAE'S!

      My early memories of Lillie Mae's in Marshalltown goes back to when it was located on east Main Street on the north side between 1st and 2nd avenue-across from Zeno's Pizza today. Wherever you remember the location, most all of us would agree it was great candy.

        I don't really know why I got to thinking about it, but, I always found it odd or strange that such a nice place that everyone loved to get candy for that "special" occasion, was also a hang out for the "hoody" crowd of the time. These guys always wore black leather jackets and real greasy hair and were considered the rougher crowd of the town. Generally, they sat way in the back of the candy shop even though there were booths and you could order food there. 

       Sometimes, they would be standing around out front and they were a little frightening if you happened yo go in or walk by. It didn't make sense  to me then nor now why such an establishment with its fine reputation for candies, let a  rough crowd hang out there! Maybe the Greeks that ran the place knew that these hoods were actually very nice guys! I will never know.