SAN ANTONIO — The State Fair of Texas is underway in Dallas. But, there is an icon missing this year. 'The Funnel Cake Queen' who is credited to bringing the delicious treat to the fair is no longer with us. Wanda 'Fernie' Winter died over the summer at the age of 95. And her family is keeping her legacy alive.
Her daughter Christi Erpillo spoke with Eyewitness News Sunday Morning about her mom and how her family brought the funnel cake snack to the fair in 1969.
"Mother was truly one of a kind," she said. Mommy and daddy were square dancers and they where in Branson and they saw funnel cakes up there. And they came back and asked the fair if we could do funnel cakes and they did. We never imagined that it was going to be such an icon."
Erpillo said they're honoring her mother this year with a tribute wall.
"It is so heart-warming that many of our customers are just bringing in flowers and gift cards and everything," she said. We have her chair there, her throne. And her table with flowers. It is just beautiful."
She also said every Friday they will be releasing a recipe on the 'Fernie's Funnel Cakes Facebook Page. This last Friday, they showed how to make Fernie's Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
The State Fair of Texas runs through October 17.