People of the Attractions: Sweet and Sassy at Silver Dollar City

AS SHE REGALES ME WITH TALES, June Ward never misses a beat assembling peanut clusters in the basement kitchen of Brown’s Candy Factory. She expertly rolls the nuts and tempered milk chocolate together into perfect, delectable mounds using the skills she has honed for more than 56 years at Silver Dollar City, located in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Now 80, she says her bones are old and she can no longer stand straight, but her candy-making acumen remains sharp—as does her wit.

“My mouth works as fast as it ever did,” declares Ward.

And boy, does she love to talk. As Ward tells me about her apprenticeship with master candy makers in 1968, tricks of the trade, the many folks she has met through the years, and more, her passion for confections and Silver Dollar City as a whole is evident. The role has also granted her the opportunity to participate in some unique projects. When “The Beverly Hillbillies” filmed episodes of the TV show at Silver Dollar City in 1969, Ward was the stand-in for Donna Douglas, who played Elly May.

With her infectious smile and warm demeanor, she is disarming and as sweet as the candies she makes. But Ward is also wildly funny, playfully feisty, and loves taking center stage—attributes that have served her well in her long career at the park’s 1880s mining town. Case in point: As we were chatting, a group of executives came to greet her.

“Andrew doesn’t know a lot,” Ward informs me as Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend looks on with amusement. “And of course, he doesn’t know anything good other than what we’ve taught him,” she adds.

Upon hearing Ward’s trademark barbs, Wexler and his associates burst out laughing. They are part of a daily parade of folks who come to Brown’s Candy Factory seeking an audience with the venerable Miss June. Multiple generations have enjoyed Ward’s delicious treats and folksy charm, and grandparents regularly bring their kin to the shop, eager to introduce them to the charismatic dynamo.

Some 50 years on, Ward’s candy cravings endure. She says that she finds the delightful aroma wafting in the air as intoxicating as I do. The self-proclaimed chocaholic’s treat of choice are pecan turtles.

Watching Ward carefully craft candies and hold court with adoring visitors, I think about the joy she has brought to others for decades. Hers is an honorable and fulfilling pursuit. Ward says she has no plans to retire and hopes to make peanut brittle, fudge, and other scrumptious goodies while dishing out hilarious remarks as long as she continues to feel well.

“I’ve always loved working for this company,” Ward says. “I tell everybody, ‘When you have the sweetest job in town, why would you want to stop?’”