After grandson's death, grandma wanted to keep their breakfast tradition alive — his classmates' response left her overwhelmed
A person might find comfort in the most unexpected places. A grandma who was grieving her late grandson didn't know that she would find comfort and support from a Wednesday breakfast club her grandson started when he was alive. Many students from the grandson's high school would show up at the grandma's doorstep bright and early in the morning and share the breakfast spread she prepared for them to keep the memory of her grandson alive, per CBS Evening News.
The 66-year-old grandma, Peggy Winckowski, would expect the kids to show up at her house in St. Louis, Missouri, for breakfast every Wednesday. It all started because a boy, Sam Crowe, decided to invite his classmates at Bishop Du Bourg High School to his grandmother's house every Wednesday. The breakfast club used to be held at a local diner, but the boy felt that his grandma could cook better than that and started the breakfast club at her house instead. The kids started meeting up at the grandma's house in 2021. "I was like, okay. They came all school year, every Wednesday," Peggy shared. Unfortunately, in 2022, the boy was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Nobody expected that the kids would continue turning up at the woman's house as per their tradition.
An even bigger number of children started coming in than ever before. "I would say we make 10 dozen eggs. I had over 200 pancakes... I had 12 pounds of bacon," Peggy told KSDK News. She usually woke up at 4:30 in the morning to cook for the kids, so everything could be ready at 7. The woman called her breakfast spread "dawn delights" and many kids turned up at her doorstep with big smiles on their faces. "It was just some guys and grandma and then it grew pretty quickly. That was in part to Sam, you know, he just was always invite-ful to everyone," Jeremy Roeder, a club member, told the outlet. "Even if I'm so tired on Wednesdays, like I want to go to Breakfast Club, I love it so much," Olivia Gagen, another student, added.
"It's almost like a warm hug. It's like you walk in, you're greeted by grandma, you smell the breakfast, it's just the best way to wake up," Claudia Hurd, a student, pointed out. About her grandson's passing, Peggy expressed, "It was the most devastating thing that I've ever been through. It was horrific." But she was glad to have so many kids come in for her and her grandson, even though she lost him. On the second anniversary of Sam's passing, or "angel-versary," per Peggy, the students showed up for a special, "breakfast for dinner" event. "It was a big turning point in most of our lives when that happened. So I think it's important to remember that and honor that," Greg Reynolds, Sam's friend, explained.
The students even planted a garden in the front lawn as a living memorial for Sam. "It brings tears to my eyes every time I walk by," Peggy remarked. The grandma was also writing a children's book about grief in 2024 with an experienced author to move further towards healing. "Grief just means you had a lot of love." She went on, "Sam's directing all this from above, you know, he's got this, he's got us covered." The tradition has helped all of them heal and develop a special bond with Peggy. "We all love Grandma Peggy a whole lot, like with all of our hearts," Roeder said.