Photo By Capt. Alicia Lacy | Marlene Beeson, manager of Marlene's Kitchen, greets Maj. Gen. William Smith, deputy...... read more read more
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CAMP MABRY, Texas –The hustle and bustle of the small kitchen was momentarily silenced and the familiar smells of comfort foods wafting through the halls of Building 8 melted away.
The Marlene’s Kitchen staff retired, with the exception of cook Janie Hernandez.
After 17 years and nine months of serving soldiers, airmen, civilians and guests at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas, Marlene Beeson and her staff called it quits and said goodbye to what’s been their second home for nearly two decades.
To recognize and thank Beeson and the staff for their contribution to the personnel at Camp Mabry, Maj. Gen. William L. Smith, deputy adjutant general – Army and commander of the Texas Army National Guard, presented the staff with awards during a recognition ceremony at Camp Mabry, Sept. 30, 2014.
Marlene’s has been a staple at the base, often being the go-to for personnel who may’ve forgotten their breakfast or lunch, who had to work through lunch, or those who just wanted a quick snack or nice conversation.
“I like it because I can grab a salad, sandwich, a hot lunch, or a bag of chips and come back to my office and eat lunch and continue to work,” said Lt. Col. Norbert Flores, operations branch chief, Texas Army National Guard. “She’s nice and I’ll miss it.”
Eating at Marlene’s has been a part of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Melissa Harden’s routine.
“I've been a frequent customer at Marlene's Kitchen for several years,” Harden said. “I'm really going to miss Ms. Janie seeing me come through the door and asking ‘the usual Melissa?’ at lunch time. I will also miss Mr. Tom's walkabouts in the cafeteria to quiz us on how we liked our food, Ms. Mary's ever-present smile, and Marlene's obvious care for soldiers.”
Not only has Marlene’s made a lasting impression on personnel here, but Camp Mabry has been a large part of Beeson and her family’s lives.
Beeson recalled watching her kids grow up here, remembering her grandchildren come in, and even witnessing both her daughters get married at the base chapel, so walking away from Camp
Mabry is something Beeson can only describe as bittersweet.
“They asked if we were happy or sad,” Beeson said. “It’s both. I’m happy to do something different, but sad because of the people. They’ve been great to me.”
Moving In
Happy Cooks now manages the kitchen. Brenda DeSimone, manager of the kitchen, offered patrons free breakfast tacos on its opening day Oct. 7, 2014.
DeSimone said it was a way for her to introduce herself to the members at Camp Mabry and to let them know the dining facility is now open.
Happy Cooks will maintain the same Tuesday through Friday hours, but DeSimone said she will look into adjusting the days and times to better fit the needs of the personnel here.
| Date Taken: | 09.30.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2014 12:20 |
| Story ID: | 144573 |
| Location: | AUSTIN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 206 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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