THE BABE
LUCY'S STORY
Lucy Winslow’s beginnings were as humble as she was. With six boys already in the Winslow clan she was the only girl and a dream come true for her father who affectionately nicknamed her his "lucky #7". Lucy was one of those tough but loving folks -- beautiful to the core -- and fiercely loyal to her family and town.
During her lifetime, Lucy went from southern Wisconsin farm girl to war hero to starlet and then entrepreneur in a tale wrought with adventure, romance and chance encounters.
Part of her life story was becoming one of the most popular pin-up girls of her era. In fact, you can see her 1949 advertisement on the wall in the restaurant. The flag she’s wearing in the pin-up shot commemorates her heroic service in the USO and as a nurse in WWII. The flag she wore is hanging in the restaurant. In the end, Lucy cared about others and that quality is what Lucy’s #7 Burger Bar is all about.
BORN JULY 1, 1926
Born on her parent’s farm just outside of the Southern Wisconsin town of Afton. Youngest of 7 Children and the only girl. Father affectionately nicknames her his "Lucy #7".
AGE 4 (1930)
Her first family visit to Lou’s Soda Fountain with her family. Her mom and dad would take the whole Winslow clan on Fridays to town to have a soda or a shake.
AGE 6-8 (1934-1936)
Lucy loves farm life. She loves to cook and begins helping her Mom around the kitchen helping her refine her "farm to mouth" recipes.
AGE 12 (1938)
To all of her brothers' surprise, Lucy wins the county shooting trophy. She also joins 4-H where she wins numerous cattle husbandry and cooking awards.
AGE 14 (1940)
Lucy is recognized for her raw singing talent by the leaders of the church choir.
AGE 15 (1941)
Lucy and her family hear the news that her brother is wounded serving in the Navy in Japan. This affects Lucy deeply and she vows to serve her country.
AGE 16 (1943)
Lucy watches two more of her brothers being drafted into service.
AGE 17 (1943)
Much to her chagrin, Lucy can not join the military. She opts, instead, to join the USO where she dutifully serves by helping the wounded returning home. She trains to be a nurse.
AGE 18-20 (1944-1945)
Lucy wants to serve more deeply, so she joins the military as a nurse. She serves valiantly on front lines of Germany and France.
AGE 19 (1945)
Lucy meets Tom -- the man of her dreams -- while on leave in France. They fall deeply in
love and write continuously throughout the remainder of the war.
AGE 20-25 (1946-1950)
Lucy returns home from the war and decides to travel. Using her singing talents, she gets gigs as a back up singer.
AGE 20 (1946)
Lucy is recognized by a photographer as a "raw American beauty" and instantly becomes one of the most recognizable pin-up girls. She continues her modelling and singing career as she spirals upwards.
AGE 26 (1952)
Lucy’s father dies. As she is always in very close contact with her family and loves her
dad dearly, she, of course, returns home to help her mom and remaining brothers on the farm.
AGE 27-28 (1953-1954)
Lucy helps with the farm and returns to her roots of animal husbandry, cooking homegrown food and helping her family and community.
AGE 29 (1955)
Lou’s Soda Fountain is now a tired bar. With her earnings from her modelling and pin-up career she decides to buy it and open it as her first restaurant.
AGE 30-44 (1956-1969)
Using her mom’s recipes and the cookbooks they developed on the farm, Lucy opens Cabots on Main Street. Featuring American comfort food, her burgers, fried chicken, fresh vegetable salads and homemade pies with slow churned ice cream are an instant success.
AGE 45+
For the rest of her life, Lucy continues her success as an entrepreneur and restaurant owner as people from all over the Midwest and some from farther afield come to enjoy her food, her company and her loving charm.
2015
Lucy’s #7 Burger Bar is opened to commemorate the amazing Lucy Winslow -- continuing the same tradition of quality and service with farm fresh ingredients.
