Nurse offers chilly prescription

Published 10:13 pm Wednesday, March 29, 2017

“The ice cream truck is coming!”

Yvonne Bates yelled at the kids to get their money ready.

“They get so excited,” the Brookhaven woman said.

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Bates gets first dibs on treats because her daughter, Angelia Nelson, owns the freezer on wheels with her husband, Christopher.

“This is our third year in business,” Nelson said. “We start on the first day of spring through October depending on the weather.”

The couple runs their truck through Brookhaven neighborhoods Monday through Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sunday 3 to 6 p.m.

Nelson, of Brookhaven, discovered her first ice cream truck at a young age when she spent the summer with her aunt in Chicago.

“When I got grown and married, my children weren’t able to experience that here,” she said. “I always wanted one to be here.”

Nelson’s wish came true when her friends, Brandon and Grace Lackland of McComb, sold their ice cream truck to her and her husband.

Nelson, a full-time nurse, never imagined she’d own an ice cream business, but she took advantage of the opportunity.

She uses her six children, time management skills and everything the previous owners taught them to keep The Freeze Zone rolling. Her slogan is “my sweets, your treats.”

“We took off into the community and were so overwhelmed,” Nelson said. “Some people had never seen an ice cream truck. Others said it brings back so many memories.”

The truck travels all over the Brookhaven community. Residents can get cold treats, chips, and candy starting at $1. Prices are no more than $2.50.

“We leave from Mockingbird Drive going to Brookhaven Apartments, North Haven Apartments and many more places,” she said. “Every street is a sale. Grandparents who keep their kids during the summer ask me to add to them to our route and we do that as well.”

Nelson can also make her truck available for events. For more information about the Freeze Zone ice cream truck, follow their Facebook page or call 601-757-3497.