Margaret Rides in the Oscar Mayer Frankmobile

Margaret, age 86, has had a long-running inside joke with her three daughters. It all started when they first saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, now known as the Frankmobile, on TV.

They lost themselves in giggles, joking that, someday, the Wienermobile would drive by, and they’d see their mother in the passenger seat!

“When my kids were growing up, I would ask, ‘Wouldn’t you love to ride in the Wiener?’” Margaret said. And for decades, it never ceased to make them smile. But that comes naturally to Margaret, who has always gone the extra mile to bring happiness to the people around her.

When her daughters were young, Margaret left her job as an administrative professional at Yale Law School to take care of the family. During this time, she also became more involved in their church.

“It started with flowers,” she said. “I would go into the woods and handpick all of them.” Margaret would spend hours every week putting together elaborate and beautiful floral displays for her friends, family, and congregation to enjoy during church services.

Once again, Margaret had found a way to turn something little into something that would make someone smile. She continued to work with flowers, volunteering to help at funerals and weddings, and eventually became a florist.

“She has always put everything aside for our family. Everything she has done in our life has been for others— myself, my sisters, her husband, her church. She hasn’t done anything for herself,” her daughter Catherine said.

During the pandemic, Margaret’s walks and social outings became limited, and she could not attend church in person. She began to struggle with mobility, which led her to make the painful decision to sell the family home and say goodbye to her beloved garden.

“Giving up her house and garden was a big deal for her,” Catherine said. “But she handled it gracefully; it was a difficult decision.” Now, Margaret resides in a living community for older adults and has regained some of her mobility by being more active and social.

After hearing Margaret’s story, we thought it was time to do something for her—something that would make Margaret smile and laugh! And what better way to celebrate the wonderful woman she is today than by making a lifelong dream come true?

“The Wienermobile is something our family has always gotten a kick out of, and we shared that with our mom,” Catherine said. “Our whole lives, we have always talked about it.”

Finally, the big day arrived. Margaret’s neighbors and friends came together to cheer her on before the big ride. Everyone was full of delight and laughter as they watched the iconic hot dog on wheels turn the corner and roll towards them.

Two outgoing “Hotdogger” spokespeople stepped off the Frankmobile and welcomed Margaret with big smiles. They presented her with an iconic Oscar Mayer Wiener Whistle, which brought tears to her eyes. And as everyone around her cheered, they boarded the humongous hot dog and were off!

Margaret rode away in style, earning a smile (or selfie) from every person in town as they passed. And the once-in-a-lifetime outing concluded at a barbecue picnic with hot dogs for everyone to enjoy.

“I loved it, I absolutely loved it,” Margaret said. “When you are 86 years old, it is fun to have an afternoon where you can just act like a kid!”

It was clear that Margaret’s wish had a ripple effect of happiness all around her!

“Today was amazing,” said Desiree, Vibrant Life Director and Margaret’s wish nominator. “Our residents were so happy, and Margaret was so so so happy… It was probably one of the best days of my career!”

“I don’t know if I had a favorite part—I loved the whole thing,” Margaret said. “It was great to experience this with my daughter.”