SOLON, Ohio — The staff at the Nestlé offices in Solon set up for something very special last week: a lunch to mark the company's 100th anniversary.
Their guest of honor was 90-year-old Evelyn Wright, a Stouffer's legacy worker whose journey began in 1959.
"I went and put in my application ... they wanted to hire me that day!" Evelyn recalled of the day she was hired. "I started working in production where you clean products and stuff. I just was glad to have the job."
She would master that job for the next 32 years.
"They never had to punish me for anything. I didn't fuss with nobody or anything like that," Evelyn said.
Eventually, her dedication earned her the title of lead chef and one of the first black female leaders in the company.
"When I retired, I was a supervisor. I had three lines that I was in charge of," Evelyn said.
Her accomplishments are admired by many, but none more than her beloved granddaughter, Mariko Price.
"As a kid, sometimes I would take Stouffer's mac and cheese to lunch and people would be like, 'This tastes just like your grandma's mac and cheese.' I was like, 'I know, she used to work there.' This is how she learned," Mariko said. "She has never stopped working even after her retirement party. She still keeps going. And even at 90, she's busy. She has her own schedule, and she just likes to make people feel good, and that's what keeps her going."
That's why Mariko went to TikTok to record a video about her grandma's birthday.
"And I tagged Stouffers, and then they started commenting and I was like, 'Oh, really? This is so cool," Mariko said.
Yet, Evelyn's more than 30 years of service means even more to Stouffer's.
"By having the standard that the Stouffer's family put into their business when they started it to what it is today, and then having Evelyn represent all of it, I can't be more honored than to have Evelyn and her family here today to help celebrate," said Tom Moe, president of the meals division at Nestlé. "She helped build this business from the ground up, and that is a special place for Evelyn in our history."
Evelyn's carried Stouffer's traditions and values into her 90th year.
"I remember when I used to work other places, but they was nothing like Stouffer's," Evelyn said. "I'm just thankful and grateful for working there."
A role model to her granddaughter and any young woman carving their path out to success.
"She means the world to me. This is my girl," Mariko said. "I honestly can't describe how much I love her. A lot of people don't get a grandma like her, so I'm thankful to have her."
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