A family that was owned Galesburg’s McDonalds since the fast-food chain first came to town nearly six decades ago is selling their stores.
Carol Kirkenmeir and Nancy Huff are the last of Conrad Mueller’s granddaughters who own a stake in the Henderson Street location that he started at Ray Kroc’s urging, moving his family from Chicago at the age of 55.
The women’s uncle and father took the torch from their grandfather, and they took over in the early ’90s, although both started working at McDonald’s at the age of 15.
Kirkenmeir also is a majority owner of the Main Street location in Galesburg, as well the Knoxville McDonald’s.
Huff has a stake in those stores and has done office work for the restaurants for nearly three decades.
Their last day owning the three Knox County locations will be Nov. 17.
The next day Santiago Negre, moving to town from Birmingham, Alabama, will take over. Both say it’s emotional to say goodbye even going through the plaques on the wall.
“I pulled my dad’s plaque off the wall from him going to Hamburger University in 1960,” Huff says.
Kirkenmeier describes her grandfather as a “hard worker”, saying employees respected him but admits he was a “tough boss.”
She says something that’s trickled down through the generations is the family’s support of Galesburg.
Kirkenmeier says they don’t turn down many requests from groups that request donations.
Kirkenmeier was quick to say the biggest change over the years is the ever-expanding menu. She recalls the days when they would open at 10:30 a.m., only selling cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes.
They say they’ll miss the people most of all.
Huff says there’s an overwhelming amount of family memories at McDonald’s from her dad taking her in when she was little, to Ronald McDonald coming to get dressed at her house.
The McDonalds on Henderson St. that Conrad Mueller opened in 1960, made Galesburg the 154th town in the U.S. to have a McDonald’s.
