Pictured, left to right, front row, are Linda Munter (granddaughter) of Sioux City, Iowa, and Frances Whitt; back row, Jeannie Franklin (granddaughter) of Sioux City, Jenny Handlos (great-granddaughter) of Omaha, Neb., Shirley Hancock (daughter) of Sioux City; Tony (grandson) and Khristy Josta of Homer, Neb. Others attending, but not pictured, were Jenny Handlos’ husband Matt and their son Drake (great-great-grandson); Sandy (niece) and Larry Adams of Jamesport; Bo (niece) and Jerry Harris, Gallatin; Heather Keith (great-niece) and Kristyn Keith (great-great-niece) of Trenton.
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Frances Whitt turned 102 on Aug. 28 and many friends and family joined in the celebration at the Community Room of Rest Easy Apartments in Gallatin on Sunday. One-hundred-two cupcakes and drinks were served. Frances thanked everyone for making her day and said she was ready to start another year.
Frances and her late husband Elmer operated the Dinner Bell Cafe in Gallatin for many years and she is known as the “Best Pie Maker in Daviess County.”
Frances Whitt started cooking when she was five years old.
“Making mud pies,” she said. “Sometimes I’d get an egg from the hen house and mix it and some wild berries from along the fence row.”
Her mother let her help in the kitchen when Frances was so small she had to stand on a box to make biscuits.
“I didn’t have the strength in my hands so I held the rolling pin under my arms. Mom said do it right or don’t do it at all. It was the same way with washing dishes. My sister Mid Welch was a tomboy. She was always outdoors with the boys. I’d do the housework.”
Frances had her first cooking job when she was around 14.
“Farmers used to help each other in the fields with the threshing. I helped Mollie Bolar up around Jameson do the cooking. We set out the biggest spread for those farmers. Like a family reunion.”
Frances went into the food business officially when she was 16 working in different restaurants around the area. She worked at a café in Gallatin owned by her sister. Elmer Whitt bought the restaurant and that’s how the two met. She and Elmer were married in 1963.
Their first restaurant was on the other side of Walker’s Barber Shop. The restaurant was too small and they sold it.
About six months later they started up Whitt’s Café located off the northwest corner of the business square in 1963. The café would seat 35. At the same time Elmer put in a café at Altamont Junction. But the new highway cut off their business and they closed that one after a year.
They moved to the block north of the square on highway 13 and put in the Dinner Bell, which ran from 1971 to 1988. The Whitt’s featured country, home-cooked meals.
“We made everything from scratch,” said Frances. “No pre-prepared. We peeled our own potatoes, cut our own french fries.”
Frances can remember when they were the sole eatery in town.
“Every seat was full. We’d have people in front waiting, and people out on the street.”
When, later, two or three other restaurants came in, the Whitt’s still managed to a good business.
“We still made ‘er. And I loved every minute of it.”
Among the many memorable events in her lifetime, one of Frances’ favorites is when her grandson, Tony Josta, announced he wanted to get married on Aunt Frances’ 100th birthday. So two celebrations were held: Aunt Frances’ 100th birthday and the wedding of Tony and Khristy Josta.
During special community events, like the flea market or Jesse James Days, Frances couldn’t keep enough pies made. Gooseberry is her favorite pie. She can make any pie — blackberry, rhubarb, peach. But she had more orders for coconut pie than any other.
Elmer’s health failed and they held an auction and sold the equipment and building.
“We had to give it up,” said Frances. “The boys that worked around town hated to see us go. They came in about every day to eat.”
Frances and Elmer were in business together for 28 years.
“We did everything side by side. We were never apart.”
Elmer passed away in January of 1991.
Frances started cooking at the Daviess County Care Center in 1994. She went from working two days a week to three, then four, five, and sometimes six.
For the six and a half years Frances was at the nursing home, she never called in sick one time. She retired in 2001.