“It was all over a bag of French fries.”

What is McDonalds to you? Is it a fast food restaurant famous for its BigMac’s and fries? Is it a place to take your kids to play? Or is it a place to find that special person? Now you may wonder how someone can find there significant other at a McDonald’s restaurant. Roberta age 65 (my grandma) wanted to share her story.

Roberta and her friend Sheral were out on a May evening and wanted to get fries and soda from McDonalds.

“Just a soda and fry,” Roberta said.

The man behind the counter gave her the soda and a large bag of fries.

Before she could say anything the man said, “Don’t worry about it, we’re closing and we need to get rid of them.”

Without hesitation Roberta and Sheral took the bag and went back to the car to enjoy the fries. Upon returning to the car they noticed a car two slots away from them. It was two boys! Sheral told Roberta to ask them if they wanted any fries.

“That’s going to look like a pick-up,” said Roberta.

Meanwhile Jim (my grandpa) and his friend Jerry had noticed Roberta and Sheral. Jerry got out of the car, after Roberta had signaled for them to come over.

“Would you guys like some fries?”

“Well, what do we owe you for the fries?” asked Jerry.

“Nothing,” said Roberta. Jim pulled up next to the car and the four of them started talking. After a while they exchanged numbers.

“Could we meet on another night?” asked Jim. Roberta and Sheral agreed to meet them the next night at McDonald’s.

Jim and Jerry were parked in the McDonald’s parking lot waiting for the two girls. Roberta and Sheral had decided to drive by the McDonalds and blow off the boys. Jim and Jerry noticed that they drove passed. Jim called Roberta later that night to ask what had happened. Jim asked if he could see her again.

“I don’t think so,” she said. She blew him off three times.

Jim calls her a fourth time, “do you want to go down to the lake front?”

Roberta said, “Sure.”

This was the first of many days together. Roberta and Jim married in 1967 just two years after they met. Jim went back and forth from New York to Wisconsin. Until they decided to settle down in Wisconsin.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Jim. I guess persistence pays off.

“It was all over a bag of French fries,” says Roberta.