The Antique Mother Goose
Woman shares life of giving back to children
Jo Ann Garner
[Editor’s Note: The following is an ongoing series by Jo Ann Garner about a select group of women who live life beautifully. These are the stories of women who fulfill their roles as homemakers, businesswomen and go on to enrich their lives with tremendous accomplishments rooted in selfexpressed beauty.]
Betty Bianca’s reflections of growing up in Natchez, Miss., are solidly rooted in Deep South culture and entrenched in visions of magnolia trees, azalea blossoms and antebellum mansions along with memories of the traditional Natchez Pilgrimage.
Some of her warmest recollections relate to the annual Pilgrimage events. Bianca’s mother, a self-taught seamstress extraordinaire, would sew exquisite costumes for antebellum presentations in which actors portrayed characters from that era. Her mother’s sewing skill, which was acquired on a pedal-operated sewing machine, extended beyond intricate handmade apparel to draperies and upholstery.
“I apparently didn’t inherit that gene,” Bianca said.
Her mother was also employed by the Singer Sewing Machine Company and taught sewing classes to the ladies of rural Mississippi. Because she strongly desired that her daughter be college educated, she pledged her income from both of these jobs to help finance Bianca’s education at Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss.
After earning a degree in English education, Bianca returned to her hometown of Natchez and began teaching high school English.
At that point in her early adulthood, she was educated, employed and independent and didn’t expect her mother would once again play a significant role in her future. However,
this happened when her mother introduced her to the son of a family friend and even helped to arrange a first date for the couple. He was Dr. Joe Bianca, a medical student at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Following that date (set up by the couple’s mothers) and a short courtship, they married and later moved to Shreveport where Joe did his internship and residency at Confederate Memorial Medical Center while she was employed as a substitute teacher at Kerr Elementary School.
As members of St. Catherine of Siena Church, they became interested in projects that revitalized the community and enjoyed devoting time to this cause.
After their children were grown, Bianca decided to further her education by enrolling in graduate school at Louisiana State University School of Social Work. Upon completion, she worked several years in the Pupil Appraisal Department for Caddo Parish Schools where she evaluated students. After leaving full-time status in that position, she returned occasionally when her services were requested.
Bianca said although she attempted retirement, it did not suit her then. She wasn’t ready. “I became bored,” she said.
As a hobby and past-time, she had enjoyed collecting glassware and antiques. Coincidentally, at that time, various vendors were displaying their wares at Glenwood Tearoom and Village on Line Avenue. Bianca was invited to join them and in doing so, she found not only a perfect fit for herself, as well as her items, but an unexpected and exciting passage into what would become the next phase of her life.
She recalls thinking to herself, “I could provide clothing for infants and children here where mothers and grandmothers shop!” While working with children in the school system, she had learned the value of communicating with them at an early age through references to nursery rhymes. Therefore, she knew that the perfect name for her new business would be: The Antique Mother Goose.
While building her inventory, Bianca became acquainted with the brand of designer, April Cornell, whose work impressed her and essentially set a standard that would guide her in merchandise selections. Cornell’s children’s fashions were embellished with delicate embroidery, crochet and magnificent vintage detailing. Hence, Bianca discovered she could bring something quite unique in clothing for this age group to Shreveport. Cornell also designed mother-daughter outfits. As well, the designer donates a percent of each purchase to her foundation, A Giving World, that supports women and children in India. This mirrored the work Bianca and her husband had done in their church, and she deemed it a blessing that she could give back in this way through her new business.
Soon The Antique Mother Goose grew beyond its space in Glenwood Village and was moved to more spacious quarters in Towne Oak Square Shopping Center. Her young clientele and their mothers loved shopping with “Miss Betty.” At events in the city such as Les Boutique De Noel, shoppers were delighted when The Antique Mother Goose presented style shows Bianca narrated while her young models posed in their garments and walked the runway.
Bianca regards The Antique Mother Goose experience as a cherished gift of joy and beauty that opened to her at a point in her life when she might, otherwise, have been reluctantly attempting to settle into retirement. Although health issues eventually caused her to close her business, this has not diminished her many rich memories of the time she spent in her shop serving customers she came to love. She expresses gratitude for the business venture and to all who supported and encouraged her in it.
