Custard
If you knew “Custard” Mize (I never knew
his real name) I’m sure you would agree that he was one of
the special characters in Fayetteville’s History. I never
remember seeing him inactive. He was a human dynamo. He was
an active member of the Fayetteville Methodist Church and
served on the Fayette County Board of Education. He also
had several businesses over the years: a couple grocery
stores, a restaurant, and an Easter lily farm.
I was in his restaurant one time at lunch and witnessed an
almost bizarre sight. I’m not sure why I was there because
I was only 6 or 7 and should have been in school. This was
in the late 30’s and the older high school students were
allowed to leave the school campus and come to Custard’s
restaurant on the courthouse square to eat. Suddenly a
crowd of high school students (mostly boys) filled the
small restaurant. In a few minutes, Custard came from the
back with a large circular tray piled high with hamburgers.
As he walked among the crowd of students he took their
nickels as they grabbed the burgers from the tray. After
distributing one tray, he went back and brought out a
second one. Drinks costing 5 cents were in a large drink
box covered with ice from which students served themselves,
depositing their nickels in a container provided.
About this same time Custard played baseball on the town’s
team. He was a good hitter but not the fastest runner. We
knew he was distantly related to the very famous Johnny
Mize but he did not emulate his baseball playing. I can
still see him running the bases with his cap in his hand.
He served in the Army during World War II in the European
theater. His division was captured by the Germans and for
several years his family didn’t know if he were dead or
alive. His wife Ruby never gave up hope and to her delight
he was liberated near the end of the War. He had been an
army cook and told stories about cooking for his fellow
prisoners while captured. He would take potato peelings
that were being discarded and make soup. He said it was
difficult for the German guards to keep an account of the
cats in the prison.
After coming home he and his wife Ruby ran a grocery store
on the courthouse square for many years. He also raised and
sold Easter lily bulbs. My daddy worked with him one
season, planting bulbs in our garden.
His wife Ruby was a strong Baptist while he was a devout
Methodist. Each Sunday they would part to attend their own
church. The churches were just across the road from each
other and for years they had shared their Sunday evening
service alternating churches for the service. At a business
meeting of the Methodist church Custard voiced his
objection to this practice but the membership strongly
disagreed. This had been an activity that had started early
in the history of the churches and Custard was defeated in
his suggestion for each church to provide the weekly
evening services. At the next joint service Custard went to
the front and joined the Baptist church. This made
Fayetteville news.