Families come home to Wubben's for feast, friends
By Mary Loden, Of the News-Tribune
Robin and Bruce Wubben, owner of Wubben's Bar and Grill in Woden are planning on a large family gathering for Thanksgiving this year - say approximately 140 community members and customers they think of as extended family.
This community event has been going on for over six years. “Jeff, the former owner, started it and I just kept doing it,” Robin Wubben said. “This year will be the fourth for us.”
Despite the anticipated crowd the Wubbens don't start preparing for the large meal until the night before. “It's just buffet,” Wubben said, laughing at the startled question of how they could do so much in so little time. “We just make the meat, potatoes and vegetables and everyone else brings a dish to pass.”
Now, that is truly a community dinner, everyone sharing what they have.
“We have a good turnout. We get people with no place to go or no family around although I know of a couple of families who plan to bring their whole family here,” Wubben said. “It's just a nice big get together for everybody.
Wubben said the first year she served Thanksgiving dinner they had a full house but on average she usually gets around 60 guests each year. However, this year they will also be serving a full crew of people working on the wind turbines around Crystal Lake.
“They called last week and asked if I would be interested in serving Thanksgiving dinner and I said, ‘sure,'” she said.
“It will be kind of a rush setting things back up for when they come, but I have my family (three daughters, two husbands and one fiance) here so I think we can do it,” Wubben said, explaining the wind crew will be coming in after the first wave of people have left.
It's a lot of work and it usually means giving up a family Thanksgiving celebration.
When asked what she gets out of it Wubben said, “I know there are a lot of elderly people here with family who are too far away or they are not able to get out of town. This makes me feel good letting them enjoy Thanksgiving Day.”
Story created Dec 02, 2008 - 13:35:23 CST.
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