Geneseo, N.Y. — On Friday morning when news broke that Hostess would be going out business, many Americans lamented. They went on Facebook and Twitter posting “RIP Twinkie” and “Oh no! My Ho Hos!”.
Many also went to their nearest store to try and get some of the iconic snacks before they ran out for good.
The Dewar family in Geneseo said they were saddened by the news that Hostess was going out of business, but for this family the news a little more emotional. That’s because their grandfather, James Dewar, invented the Twinkie in 1933 and the Twinkie has been part of their family ever since.
Darcy Dewar Lynch says people called her grandfather “Mr. Twinkie”. Growing up, Twinkies were always around.
“Everywhere we went it was always ‘The Twinkie. The Twinkie.’,” says Lynch. “Always the Twinkie. So yes, it did make us proud.”
In 1933, Dewar was a baker at the Continental Baking Company near Chicago. One day he came up with the idea to create a cream-filled snack cake. As for the unique name, Lynch says it came to Dewar while on a sales trip with colleagues.
“There was a store with neon lights that said ‘Twinkle Toes Shoe Store’ and he said ‘I'm going to name it the Twinkie’.”
The Continental Baking Company eventually became Hostess and the Twinkie became their best selling snack. The company sells about half billion each year.
Dewar lived with the fame of being the Twinkie’s creator; however, his family says he never made money off it directly because he was working for a company.
By the time Dewar retired, he was a vice president at the company.
Lynch’s nephew is named after her grandfather. The young James Dewar says his friends often don’t believe him when he tells him about his great-grandfather. Although he’s never met his great-grandfather, James says he is extremely proud.
“It's just cool to see Twinkies on the shelf and say to myself my great-grandfather invented that.”
The Dewar family hopes another company decides to buy the Twinkies brand so one of America’s favorite snacks won’t be gone for good.
