Francine Combs
Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in celebrating Mrs. Francine Combs for her decades of hard work in her community and her 100th birthday this month by naming her our Iowan of the Week.
Francine started working as a waitress when she was only 18. She worked at The Joy Ann, a restaurant of the northwest side of the square in Greenfield, Iowa whose local claim to fame was being the first eatery in town to have a juke box. From those first table at The Joy Ann, Francine’s tenacity and dedication to her work and the community took off.
Over the course of her 65 years as a waitress, Francine worked at several other eateries – all the while raising four sons – John, Dan, David and Dennis – with her husband Frank.
Francine’s son John Combs and his wife Phyllis recalled that, “Every restaurant there ever was in Greenfield, she was a waitress there.” Diners and patrons in Greenfield came to know and love Francine as a staple of their community.
A significant portion of Francine’s decades of waitressing were at the Maid-Rite Café – an Iowa community staple for nearly three generations and a venerated home to our famous loose meat sandwiches. In all her years, if Francine ever learned the secrets behind the Maid-Rite’s incredible rendition of this classic Iowa sandwich, she still hasn’t told.
In honoring Francine today, I want to underscore the values of hard work, attentiveness, and interpersonal skills that serving Iowa’s hungry families teaches to everyone working in the hospitality industry. As a former waitress myself, I know how much I learned from the long hours on my feet and the diligent yet delicate work that is required of any food service professional – and I am so proud to recognize one who embodies that Iowa work ethic through decades of service to her thousands of patrons.
In 2004, Francine hung up her apron at the age of 84 for a well-earned retirement. And as she reaches another incredible milestone – 100 years old this month – I can only imagine how she has seen the world change.
As we all know, the restaurant industry is evolving. From meal delivery services to contactless ordering through kiosks, some of the personal touches that Francine gave to her customers are becoming rarer. But it’s my hope that as restaurants and other food services continue to weather this pandemic and economic downturn, they can take Francine’s story to heart and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In her years serving Iowa, Francine saw the inauguration of ten new presidents, the moon landing, the birth of the microwave and the microchip, the end of a world war, and countless economic ups and downs. But through it all, Francine always turned to the next table with a smile.
It is my distinct honor to name Francine Combs as our Iowan of the Week, and wish her a very happy 100th birthday. Although we cannot celebrate in person with Francine this year, I hope everyone will celebrate her work this month by supporting your own local restaurant – and helping those who’ve dedicated their days to following in Francine’s footsteps.