Mary Lauderdale, of Mary of Puddin Hill, first was inspired to start her company after giving one of signature fruitcakes to her college home economic professor in 1948.
The Christmas after receiving the teacher’s advice, Mary and her husband Sam started making fruitcakes in their tiny apartment, according to information on the company’s website. Mary's parents loaned them money to buy the fruit, and friends helped prepare the cakes. Five hundred pounds of fruitcake later, they realized that they might be on to something.