100 years ago

august 3, 1911

Marion makes claim upon Everlasting Fame—it is here that the “Sundae” served at soda fountains was invented, discovered, patented, copyrighted, etc. and here it was named.

Some years ago when Mr. R. Williams was running a drug store he happened to have a lot of preserves which he had bought from a syrup manufacturing house for the use of his own family—the fruit crop being a complete failure here—in pint jars.

One Sunday morning when a few fellows were in and were eating ice cream, Mr. Williams suggested that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to see how some of these preserves would “go” on the cream and having tried it all the fellows thought it was “fine doin’s.”

So, Mr. Williams put a lot of the stuff on the fountain counter and pushed the thing with the general trade. When he was asked what the dish would be called he said, “well, it was Sunday morning when we tried it out, let’s call it a “Sunday.”

And, the name stuck—except that some gent came along and changed the spelling to look a little different, don’tcha know. And now “Sundaes” are served wherever soda fountains wave.

Mrs. Sarah E. Billings, known and loved by people of Marion as “Grandma Billings” passed away at her home here Monday afternoon. Her maiden name was Sarah E. Smart, and she was born in England April 18, 1831. Her parents brought her to America when she was three years of age. She met and married H.A. Billings in Indiana and they came to Kansas in 1865. They came to Marion in April 1867. Two devoted sons survive—S.L Billings of Salt Lake City and O.C. Billings of Marion.

The auto, given away as a prize by the W.W. Loveless and Sons establishment, was won by Miss Clarice McMillen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. V. H. McMillen. The little car is a real little auto with a five horsepower motor and sells on the market for $275. In spite of bad roads, Miss Clarice had her car out right away and with a load of five or six youngsters was driving it right along.