Shake out those memories of the Berry Patch Restaurant, recall peeling those spuds, picking those berries and the aroma of chicken dinners and come to the Maple Valley Historical Society’s Feb. 21 program to share those wonderful days.
The program is between 1-3 p.m. at the Fire Engine Museum, behind the community center, at 22012 S.E. 248th St., corner of Witte Road.
The Berry Patch or Strawberry Patch as some recall it was located on 285th or as many of the old timers say, Berry Patch Road or the Reed Ranch Road. The restaurant was started in 1945 when William Brehm and Lulu Anderson purchased the building.
Brehm was 69 years old when he died in 1945 and Lulu continued on with the restaurant with her devoted friend, Coy, until her death in Sept. of 1968. The building is currently for sale.
Numerous folks in the Valley worked at the restaurant at various times over the years and the historical society is looking forward to hearing these stories.
In the book, Ravensdale Reflections, Patty Willis of Ravensdale recalled her experience:
“I worked for Mrs. Anderson at the Strawberry Patch restaurant. I was 16. When I realized it was every Sunday that I was going to make that kind of money, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. My mother worked there as a waitress, Thursday through Sunday.
“I worked with a select group of nice women; we peeled potatoes, buckets of potatoes. I graduated to being able to make biscuits back in the corner that was full of her dolls. She lived in the little house on the property and had her own berry patch with blueberries and boysenberries that she used for her pies. Coy was her gardener.
“She went to the Pike Place market and bought her chickens. I became a waitress and worked through high school and several years after.”
Co-chairs for the program are Barbara Nilson and Sherri Acker. There may be berry pies for socializing after the program. Anyone having photos of the restaurant please bring them along for sharing.
For information contact Nilson at 425-228-5903 or Acker at 425-432-0266.
