Central Texas Chick-fil-A employees join mourners after unexpected death of a favorite customer

VALLEY MILLS, Texas (KWTX) – For nearly a decade, Dana Krumnow, 47, of Valley Mills rarely passed on a chance to swing by the Chick-fil-A on Franklin Avenue in Waco.

“My mom was a regular,” said son Hunter, 21.

“She’d go there one or two times a day. She went for two cups of ice and two unsweet teas.”

The daily visits stopped when Dana died unexpectedly on June 18.

“She had just gotten up and got ready for work and then collapsed,” Hunter said.

Employees of Dana’s favorite Chick-fil-A might never have known what happened to her had one of them not come across a GoFundMe campaign launched by Hunter’s girlfriend, Jaci Faulknor to help with funeral expenses.

Their response was surprising and moving.

First, they reached out and arranged a food delivery with a special touch.

“They brought two trays of nuggets and one tray of salad and a bunch of cookies and brownies,” Hunter said.

“And a bunch of teas and unsweet teas and of course three bags of ice,” he added with a smile.

They also took time to write down their memories of Dana, which they compiled in a book they presented to the family along with an honorary employee nametag bearing Dana’s name.

“There were personalized messages from all the workers talking about how they saw my mom or something that happened days they saw her and really just how nice she was,” Hunter said.

“Of all the things people have said or done since my mom died, this means the most.”

Employees shared their memories with the family.(Courtesy photo)

Chick-fil-A employees drove to Valley Mills for visitation on June 23 and made the trip again the next day for Dana’s funeral.

The family reserved a pew for them, and they filled it.

A pew was reserved for employees who attended the service.(Courtesy photo)

“It made us happy knowing that a big chain like that got to know my mom enough to feel like they had to do something, and they made us feel like family,” Hunter said.

Dana’s family says the company known for its quick service with a smile lives up to its highest standards of love, care, and concern for customers, even in death.

“Just knowing that there are more people out there that take notice throughout the day of people like that. To take the time to come to their customer’s funeral, it just means they value the customers that come there every day.”

“It meant the world to us.”