Charles "Herman" Alam

Birth 20 Jun 1899 • Sloan, Woodbury, Iowa
Death 8 Nov 1952 • Tuscola, Taylor, Texas

Charles "Herman" Alam was born on 20 Jun 1899 in Woodbury County, Iowa - his Father was born in Sweden and his Mother hailed from Nebraska. Herman's family moved to Nebraska in late 1901 or early 1902 where he grewup on a dairy farm. He lived in Canada for a period as a young man. Herman married Nellie Marie Bobier Foley on 6 Mar 1920 in Woodbury Co., Iowa. To support his young family, which soon consisted of Nellie, son Harold and daughter Dorothy he took a job in the dairy industry as a Butter Maker.
Herman continued to hone his skills in the dairy industry and after World War II moved his family to West Texas. Upon arriving in West Texas, Herman took a management job with Banner Creameries, which had operations in several West Texas towns. During his employment with Banner, Herman was saving money and looking for an opportunity to enter into his own business. In 1951, an opportunity presented itself in Abilene, Texas, in the form of the Abilene Pure Milk Company. Abilene Pure Milk Company was a relatively small operation which purchased milk from area dairy farmers, bottled and sold the milk as well as making other milk products like butter and ice cream which was sold in the company's own ice cream parlor, located at 1117 Pine Street in Abilene, TX.
Things were going well for the family and the Abilene Pure Milk Company business was performing nicely. But on 8 Nov 1952 just outside Tuscola, Taylor Co., Texas (about 20 west of Abilene), tragedy struck! While travelling on business, Herman's auto collided with and he was killed by a Texas and Pacific train.

Shortly after Herman's death, his previous employer, Banner Creameries, purchased the operations of Abilene Pure Milk Company from the heirs. These operations were soon folded in the larger Banner company. Since Banner was a wholesale location only operation, the decision was made to close the retail part of the Abilene Pure Milk Company - the Ice Cream Parlor.

Misfortune often creates opportunities for others. In this case, for Abilene's own singer-songwriter, Winston Moore (Slim Willet). Slim had just produced what turned out to be his greatest hit, "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes." The song sold millions of copies, both country and pop, highlighted in 1953 by Perry Como's No. 1 gold recording for RCA. Slim felt that the recording studio that released his recording had cheated him out of his rightful share of earning from his hit recording and song writing royalties. Motivated and armed with his smaller than deserved earnings, Slim decided to move his fledgling home recording studio into a professional facility which he could control.

When informed of the availability of the Abilene Pure Milk Company premises, Slim (who wasn't) decided that having an ice cream parlor with the rear part of the building available for a studio and which operation could pay for his recording facilities was too sweet a deal to pass up. So, Slim's ice cream parlor with attached recording studio was born.

Memories and research Find A Grave Contributor, Ancestor Hunter* (#48051371)