Omega Mu Voice: John R. Kenealy, 1983

Omega Mu Voice
John R. Kenealy,
1983

Burr’s General Store

Burr’s General Store was on Route 2 in Costigan, Maine. It was a special place for many of us. The building was unassuming on the outside, but was the quintessential country store when viewed from the inside. It was in an ideal location to kick off our many adventures out to fish the Sunkhaze Stream for wild brook trout, or for partridge hunting. ​

The first thing we noticed on our initial venture, was the stuffed bear standing on a shelf on the back wall who was wearing a red pork-pie hat. Inside the store, was an amazing array of foods, dry goods, and fishing and hunting equipment. ​

What drew us however, was the lunch counter, which was in the back, left side of the store. In front of the counter were a number of milk cans for stools, and we always sauntered up and grabbed a stool, while we ordered our sandwiches.

So, I’m not sure where to go from here: should I talk about the amazing sandwiches, or the amazing “Burr’s Babe,” as we called her, who made them for us? Call me a sexist, but I’ll begin with the Burr’s Babe. I’ll just say it: We all wanted to marry her, and why not? She was beautiful. She had long, raven hair, big, brown eyes, and curves that would wake the dead. We all assumed that she was a member of the family-owned business, and she was about the same age of us: late teens-early twenties. She was sweet, kind, and enjoyed our banter. And, she made an amazing sandwich!

A great sandwich starts with great bread. At Burr’s they baked fresh bread every day. Not only that, they sliced the bread into about one inch thick slices. Chicken salad, which was the favorite, by our consensus, was made from chickens that they roasted on site. The sandwiches were loaded, and about three inches thick when all was said and done. Each sandwich was wrapped in plastic wrap, and included a pickle slice. After collecting our sandwiches, we were on our way with a meal that lasted all day, and memories of the love of our young lives, the “Burr’s Babe.”

“What if the space be long and wide,
That parts us from our brother’s side
A soul-joined chain unites our band,
And memory links us hand in hand.”
(Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)

Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
​Perge