Biographies: Minnie Breedlove, 1951, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: January 18, 1951 Winn Parish Enterprise

"Minnie" at Lone Star Caf‚ Is Winn Legend

In a quarter century of operation a caf‚ on Main Street in Winnfield, Mrs.
Minnie Breedlove has become something of a legend, well known to practically
all natives, and to hundreds of travelers and working people.

Although her caf‚ is officially the "Lone Star", many people would not know it
by that name.  It's "Minnie's," and anyone who knows at all recognizes the
name.  Minnie seldom fails to bid each customer the time of day the minute he
comes in, and tries to make him feel at ease with friendly conversation and
laughter.

Minnie and Mont (J. M. Breedlove, her husband), bought the caf‚ 25 years ago,
as a temporary business so they could be in Winnfield near her parents, who
were getting old and needed attention.

"We never dreamed of staying even three or four years," Minnie said.  They had
come back here from near Baton Rouge where Mr. Breedlove was employed with
an Alexandria lumber company, and have been in Winnfield since that time.

The day after the Breedloves bought their caf‚ and started business, the
Tullos oil field was opened.  At that time, Tullos was not a town, and the
only place for the great influx of people to live and eat was in Winnfield. 
The first morning after opening, the house filled up and was full for every
meal.  Oil field workers, speculators, lawyers, and all sorts of new people
who arrived with the oil boom, traveled the distance each day from Tullos to
Winnfield and many ate dinner in Minnie's caf‚.

When they started, Minnie said neither she nor Mr. Breedlove knew anything
about running a caf‚, but soon learned by simply staying with it, taking
orders for the full house, and serving customers like old hands.

They employed only one waitress then, and now a crew of five girls work in
shifts to keep the place open from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight.

Since beginning 25 years ago, everything in the caf‚ has changed with the
exception of the cook, Luther Henderson, who was working when the Breedloves
bought it out.  All new furniture and equipment, with an air conditioner, has
been added.

Although Minnie and Mont have not children of their own, she claims to have
helped raise a generation of youngsters in Winnfield.  Her earlier "children"
are grown and have families, but she remembers when they came to the movie
theater nearby as small tots, and after the show came to her caf‚ to ask for
"wawa."

She still refers to them as her children, and the gang which uses the caf‚ as
a "hangout", she calls "my boys."

People treat you about as you treat them, Minnie says, and working with this
in mind, she manages to keep order pretty well among the teenage group which
does most of the hanging out.

She told in an interview this week of several "bad boys," so called by some
people, who have responded to her "golden rule" treatment.  She is like a
mother to some, stern when they deserve it, but ready with a kind word of
advice at the right time.

Mr. and Mrs. Breedlove both are members of the local Presbyterian Church and
attend regularly.  Mr. Breedlove operates a furniture store here and is a
former grocery store operator.