Oyster Stew (few oysters, lots of milk)

I just finished a bowl.  Seems no one else in my family will touch oyster soup.  Except the oldest of my children, Brad, who has eaten about everything edible and non-edible.  Strangely enough, he refuses anything that contains a raisin.  This leaves this unfortunate man bereft of the pleasures of some German bake goods handed down from my side of the house.  Mince meat pie, Lepkucken, to name a couple items that's become a Christmas tradition continued.  Still, he is only 1/2 German and so excused.  The other half Scotch/Irish/hill-billy from his mother's lineage (cornbread people.)

About oysters-

I learned about oysters as a child when oysters were cheap.  At least oyster soup was cheap, being mostly milk which every farmer had his own.  Oysters were no more expensive than salmon which was at 15 cents a can.  Salmon patties was a favorite meal and I still like them.

Once a year, in season, an oyster supper was served at our schoolhouse.  Seemed everyone came, or so it seemed to me.  Just soup and those little round crackers that I saw at no other time.  No one ate raw oysters in a farm community.  I only ate the broth myself (from the soup)  Took me a few years to risk those flabby little bivalves cooked.  Raw, nay.  A brother of my army buddy (1945) reportedly at 12 dozen on the half shell (raw) at an oyster bar at one sitting.  I'll go with the soup.  Oysters are becoming scarce.  Tastes are changing.  Traditional food will be burger and fires, in time.