Whitacre made “perfect gravy” at Jinny’s
By Jim Langham
Janet Shauver, owner of Jinny’s Restaurant in Bryant, reflects a lot these days about the last time she saw Lance Cpl. Andrew Whitacre in person. It was last winter; he came into the place where he had been employed before he joined the Marines to check up on his ”restaurant family.”
But Whitacre wasn’t the only one who visited Jinny’s on that cold winter day. A tall blonde young lady with a sweet personality accompanied the proud serviceman. It was the first time that Shauver had ever met Whitacre’s sweetheart, Casey McGuire.
“He was so proud of her. He wanted everyone to meet her,” said Shauver. “He talked about her moving up here (from Arizona) when they got married. He wanted her to see the seasons.
“He started out right where he left off when he left here,” observed Shauver. “He gave me a big hug and then he introduced me to Casey. Then he grabbed a rag and started to clean off the counter. That was such a part of him. He was always such a hard worker. He also had to be doing something.”
Shauver said that he told embracing employees that he was killing a little time and that he would be back in a little over a year. He said that once he was discharged from the Marines, he wanted to join the Air Force, because he wanted to learn how to fly.
Shauver, who took over the well-known truck stop after her mother, Jinny Lough, retired, said that Whitacre had worked for her his senior year at Jay County High School. She said that she hired him knowing that he was a bundle of energy and he didn’t disappoint her.
“He worked third shift as a cook. He always wanted to make sure that everything he cooked was perfect,” quipped Shauver. “I remember the first time that he made gravy from scratch. He babied it and babied it. Once it was done, he was so proud of it that he wanted me to get a camera and take a picture of it.”
Little did those who were reunited with their friend on that winter day realize that the next time they would encounter him, it would be under the most regretful military circumstances possible. Shauver said that most employees had shed a lot of tears since news arrived that Whitacre was killed in action on Thursday, June 19, in Afghanistan.
Waitress Takoa Hough said that she had known Whitacre since he crawled across the floor.
“I was eight and he was one. Our families have always been close friend. His dad, Ernie, has been a customer here forever,” said Hough warmly. “We grew up together. He was very outspoken, very proud of what he was doing. He would send letters to us and we would hang them over here (in the restaurant) on the bulletin board.
“We all feel so bad for Ernie. Andrew was his only child. It was hard for him when Andrew went over there, but he supported him because he knew that’s what he always wanted to do,” continued Hough.
Hough described the fallen soldier’s father as “one of a kind, who always picked up every piece of trash on his way to the restaurant.
“He (Ernie) is such a sweetheart. We’re all so heartbroken for him. He’s a truck driver, a very kind man. We’re going to all do the best that we can to be here for him,” added Hough.
Shauver said that one of her favorite memories of Whitacre occurred at a Christmas party while he was employed at the tiny café. She gave him a “Jinny’s Café” jacket with his name imprinted on it.
“He was so proud of it; he had a buddy that worked at Pizza Hut who had been given a jacket imprinted with his place of work,” Shauver said. “Andrew took his jacket to his buddy and said, ‘see, mine even has my name on it. He always liked to ‘one up’ people. That was part of his personality.”
Shauver had received her last email from Whitacre two weeks ago. He told her that the culture in Afghanistan was much different than it had been in Iraq (where he had served previously). The restaurant owner said that he always wrote more about the people around him than the war itself.
“He said at that time that his life was so busy that he hardly had time to see people around him,” observed Shauver. “He said that he hoped things would slow down a little because he wanted to meet the people of the land and tell me about them. He knew that I had attended college so he liked to write facts about the region around him.
“He would never have hurt anyone intentionally. He appeared on the surface to be a little arrogant, but when you really got down to know him, you didn’t notice that anymore,” added Shauver. “Once you knew him, the first thing you noticed was his heart.”
Hough said that the thought of not having a new letter on the restaurant bulletin board is almost unbearable. She noted that both employees and customers were taking Whitacre’s death very hard.
“He was such a part of us; I don’t think it’s really hit us yet how much is missing,” said Hough. “I saw Ernie at the funeral home last night; he gave me a big hug and told me how much Andrew enjoyed all of us. The feeling couldn’t have been more mutual. This is very hard.”
Shauver said that she never did take a picture of that gravy, but she’s confident that Whitacre put the same perfectionism and intensity into serving his country as he did making that gravy.
“He told us that he didn’t mind going because somebody had to go and take care of us,” added Shauver.