Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
GINTER, Donna
GINTER, Donna. (SD- ). "Mother of Main Street." Ginter's father brought his family to Asbury, Iowa, after losing two sections of farm ground to droughts and grasshoppers. Donna and her late husband Joe owned the Navy Club on Main from 1949 until it was demolished during the urban renewal of the late 1960s. They then moved one block south and opened the Silver Dollar Restaurant in what had been the GERMAN SAVINGS BANK. Ginter's renowned hospitality included letting customers charge their food until the arrival of their next Social Security check.
Better known are her free Thanksgiving dinners that feed thousands annually. Initially doing all of the work herself, Ginter later received help with the dinner from local organizations and volunteers. In 1994 she was honored by the TELEGRAPH HERALD with its FIRST CITIZEN AWARD.