WIMPY'S EARNED A TOWN'S AFFECTION

Some businesses are so ingrained in a community that they become institutions, a part of the town's history. It is hard to believe that Wimpy's is closed. After all, Wimpy's has been selling hamburgers and providing coffee chatter forever, right?

No, just for the past 55 years. But now that era is over. Most Cape Girardeans can't remember life without Wimpy's. It is a nostalgic time for most of the eatery's many customers.

Wimpy's was always a family affair. Freeman Lewis bought the hamburger stand in 1942. His parents, Fred and Ethyl Lewis, ran it while Freeman and his brother, Frank Lewis, went off to World War II. Bill Lewis joined the business and ran it until the doors were finally closed last month.

All that's left now are the memories. And the possibility that the Lewis clan will finally share the secret recipe for the relish that made Wimpy's hamburgers ... well, Wimpy's hamburgers.

Best wishes to all the Lewises who have demonstrated so well that hard and honest work can be rewarding. And fun too.