HOME MOVIE OF MARVIN
A GIFT TO FATHER IS THE
GIFT TO CHILDREN
HAROLD MAY & MARVIN
FATHER & SON
THE MAY FAMILY STORY
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
From a family of candymakers since 1881, Harold May settled on Mackinac Island in 1930 and founded May's Candy Shop. Marvin May continued the tradition making "Famous Mackinac Fudge."
In a 2011 recorded interview with my dad, Marvin May tells the story of how his parents, Harold & Ethel met, how the May family came to settle on Mackinac Island, and excerpts of growing up in a candy making business.
According to my dad, my grandfather, Harold May, and my grandmother, Ethel Travers, met when Harold returned to the states after World War I. Harold obtained a candy making position in Topeka, Kansas where Ethel was employed as a chocolate dipper. They married when Harold was 26 and Ethel was 21. The age of marriage is confirmed by 1930 Kansas City census records.
Dad states that he came to Mackinac Island when he was two years old. Marvin May was born on September 8, 1926. It is possible they first came to the Island in the summer of 1929, but dad does say they settled on Mackinac in 1930.
As the story goes, my grandfather answered an ad in a professional trade publication. With Harold's generational candy making background and expertise, he was hired, and the May family relocated to Mackinac Island in 1930 with Harold becoming the professional candy maker for Murdick's Famous Fudge.
Sharing his story, dad joyfully reminisced of memories growing up while living right above the fudge store and playing behind the store with friends Francie Murdick, Howie Shama, Arnold Sutton, Spookie Fisher, Bill Doyle and many others. This is the exact location of May's Candy store to this day. Sometime prior to 1940, my grandfather was offered to purchase Murdick's Famous Fudge, name and all. Harold thought it strange to buy someone else's name, and in an effort not to offend and with much thought, Harold replied, "Well, thank you very much. I will pay your price, but if I am going to make a name for myself in the candy business, I will use my own name." In 1940, May's Candy Shop was established featuring "Famous Mackinac Fudge" on its sign. Harold, Ethel & Marvin worked side by side creating recipes to make the best tasting fudge with that famous smooth texture everyone loves to this day.
Hard times followed the Great Depression, with many business owners going out of business, but May's Candy survived being the only candy store on Mackinac Island for approximately 18 years. During the winters, the May family left the island to find work. Dad confesses that his ability to make many different kinds of candies is due to the many different candy stores they worked all over the country. Many of those businesses did not even make fudge but specialty candies. This contributed to dad's expertise and ability to look at a recipe and be able to immediately predict the outcome of the finished product.
Becoming a man, my dad had thoughts and dreams of going into law. He was not only a creative candy maker, but he was very intelligent. In considering what he wanted to do in life, dad made the choice to settle and to help his parents making candy as May family's 3rd generation candy maker. Dad revealed in the 2011 recorded interview that after moving around so much of his life, the only place that was home was Mackinac Island, and that is where he wanted to be.
During the mid 1950's, dad came down with polio paralyzing him from the waist down. Through his own determination to religiously practice strengthening exercises, dad regained use of his legs. It was right after that time Harold became ill and passed away in the fall of 1958 just a few months before I was born. Dad helped his mother with the business, but within just six years, Ethel passed away in 1964. Dad kept the business going spending his entire life in the candy business, right where he wanted to be.
Dad continued the tradition of making "Famous Mackinac Fudge" and also making a new generation of candy makers. The first generation was William May making candy in Atchison, Kansas beginning in 1881. The second generation, Harold May making candy since 1915 with his wife, Ethel, at his side. The third generation, Marvin May. There were many of us in the fourth generation working alongside dad through the years...Vern, Tara, Tienne, Lee, Carolyn & Heather. Dad even started a 5th generation training his grandson, Eddie, as a candy maker. The only 4th generation candy maker that made candy making her lifetime career was Tienne May Mathews pictured below. My sister, developed expertise in making candies and fudge along with following in our grandmother's footsteps becoming an expert chocolate dipper.
On July 8, 2018, we lost our beloved father, Marvin. He is buried in the Mackinac Island Cemetery alongside his father and mother. At that time, my brother and sister, Lee and Heather, carried on the tradition of May's "Famous Mackinac Fudge" with Heather pictured below, a 4th generation candy maker, being the most involved in the daily activities of keeping the candy made, caring for the customers, and caring for the family business.
In closing, Anthony "Mack" Trayser, the new owner of May's Famous Mackinac Fudge, asked me, Marvin's oldest daughter, to write this brief history, and I am honored to do so. As I get permission from family members, I may add more in the future, but for now, I just want to say how much I adored my father...as we all did. He was kind and loving, smart and funny, stern in his discipline...but one of those dads that only had to give you "the look" and you straightened right up. He was a business man, had integrity, was full of life, and was always ready to listen when we cried out "daddy." with love, Tara
