Provided by Bill Parker This 1945 White Inn menu memorializes a wedding engagement.

The White Inn menu from April 27, 1945, is still clearly inscribed with Fred Parker’s love for his future wife, Shirley.

“Sweetheart,” he wrote, “I’ll never forget tonight — who would want to — because I know you’re going to be my wife — and I will be loving you always.” He underlined “will.”

Fred and Shirley’s son, Bill Parker of Vernon, Conn., recently contacted the OBSERVER about the menu, after noticing its stories about the White Inn’s purchase and restoration by Steve St. George and Devin Jones. He hopes the menu — consisting of a regular bill of fare and a list of “specials” — can go on display in the Fredonia institution after renovations are finished.

Bill Parker wrote, “My parents attended college in Fredonia in World War II. This is where they met. My dad was called into the Army and they stayed in touch all the time with letters. During one leave from the Army my dad traveled back to Fredonia to see my mom. On this occasion he proposed to her — at the White Inn.”

The proposal was accepted and Fred wrote a love note on the back of the regular menu to mark the occasion. He even scrawled out a poem, too. The happy couple kept the menus as a momento.

The menus are a cherished piece of Parker family history — but also offer a glimpse into what restaurants on the home front offered at the close of World War II.

On the regular menu, chicken sandwiches are offered for 50 cents. A bowl of soup is 15 cents. Homemade pie, ice cream and sherbet are available for dessert. There’s no “pop” to drink– beverage choices are fruit juices, coffee, tea, milk, hot chocolate and buttermilk. All are 10 cents apiece.

The regular menu consists of soup, salads and sandwiches, but the specials sheet has more elaborate fare. Southern fried chicken is the priciest item, at $1.25. Calves’ liver, served of course with onions, is 85 cents. Roast pork and applesauce can also be had for 85 cents.