For the past five years, Dane Englund of Mapleton has been passing out ice cream treats every Wednesday to kids on the way home from school during the warmer months.
“He opens up his garage door and has the little garage fridge that he stocks the freezer full of ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches and popsicles and then lets each kid go through the line and just pick what they want,” Suzanne Englund said.
Serve Daily spoke to Suzanne Englund last month, and she said that she wanted to share with the community the kindness her father-in-law has shown over the years —even during a difficult time in his life.
“Dane is a widow,” Suzanne said. “He’s known as Popsicle Guy, Ice Cream Man, simply Dane, or Papa to his grandkids.”
In 2019, Dane Englund’s wife Jodi Englund passed away after a “long, valiant, and enduring battle with cancer,” according to her obituary.
“He worked in HR for Walmart distribution and Home Depot for many, many years,” Suzanne Englund said. “When (Jodi) died of breast cancer, he kept working through her treatments, but then toward the end when she wasn’t doing well, he retired just so he could be with her and take care of her those last few months that were especially hard.
“They moved to Mapleton when their first grandchild was born 11 years ago to be closer to their grandkids,” she added. “And that’s when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. They wanted to be close to family.”
Suzanne Englund shared pictures of the long line of kids on Wednesday in September, adding that she counted over 200 that day.
“It’s fun for him,” she said. “A lot of the kids are in the neighborhood, so he knows them and then I know he has lots of kids flocking in from other neighborhoods, too. He just enjoys it. He just likes to be nice and do something fun for the kids. He’s got a lot of grandkids around here, too.”
Dane Englund doesn’t pass out treats during the colder months, often closing up shop in October. He does, however, resume in May for students needing a cold, sugary pick-me-up after a long day at school.
