Veteran Who Loved Burger King Honored With His Own Chair

If you visit a fast-food restaurant in the mornings, you may run into friends enjoying coffee and great conversation. Jerry Parkin, 91, was part of a group that does just that until he passed away last year. The Burger King staff loved their veteran customer so much that they brought something very special to his funeral.

Jenny Olson and her brother Leo Parkin were surprised when someone came into the kitchen during their father, Jerry Parkin’s funeral. “The whole crew of Burger King is here, and they brought a chair,” the person said. Jenny responded in the only way you could at this news, “What?”

Jerry Always Sat in the Same Seat

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Burger King employees Denise, Ashley, and Monica all showed up to the funeral wearing their uniforms. Jerry would meet his friends at their North Branch, Minnesota Burger King.

“He would walk in, and we would have his order ready for him,” Monica shared.

Jerry, who had served in the Air Force, always sat in the same seat. The employees brought the chair with them, engraved with his name, birth, and death dates. “That was his seat,” Ashley said. “He always sat there every morning, so we had to bring his chair.”

One of Jerry’s Friends Had the Idea to Engrave the Chair

Kevin Bennett, who shared coffee with Jerry every morning, had the idea to engrave the chair. The chair is a seat of honor, and Kevin had his wife use a wood burner to add the name and dates. She also did so for another regular at the coffee meetups who had recently died.

“I’ve never had anybody want to memorialize a chair in the dining room for somebody,” Tom DeHaven, the general manager, said. He did get permission from his corporate boss to do so.

The Burger King employees loved Jerry, and Jerry loved being at Burger King. For his 90th birthday, the employees hosted his birthday party at the restaurant. He also asked for one last meal at the hospital.

The Chair is an Honor to Have

Five months after the funeral, Jenny stopped by the Burger King her father loved so much. She brought hugs and gratitude to the employees and thanked Jerry’s friends for their military service. She also got to sit in his chair. “It’s quite an honor to have,” she says.

At the funeral, Jerry’s chair sat there with an American flag honoring his military service and a Burger King crown, a reminder of one of his favorite places. What a beautiful way to honor a favorite customer.

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour.” - Romans 12:10

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h/t: WSFA12

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