87-летний житель Рокфорда продолжает завтракать вдвоем в память о погибшей жене и собирает миллионы лайков

Rockford man keeps tradition alive to honor late wife, garners social media following ROCKFORD, Ill. (Rockford News First) - For Bill Mitchell, love has always lived in the small, quiet moments. Years after losing his wife, one of those simple acts of devotion continues to carry a powerful meaning, inspiring thousands to remember and celebrate the people they love. Every Saturday morning, the 87-year-old sets his dining table for two. “I just love the woman, and I miss her a whole lot,” Bill said. “And so, Saturday mornings, I make the breakfast I used to make for her all the time.” Bill and Martha Mitchell were married for 60 years. To Bill, she wasn’t just his wife; she was his best friend. That bond was expressed in daily acts of care throughout their life together. “When I retired, there was nothing better than her coming home from work, and there would be a nice dinner for her there with a glass of wine, candles, so on and so forth,” Bill recalled. “I just did that because it was important to me.” Their routine was shattered when a tragic car crash on their way home from Texas took Martha’s life. But while the crash took Martha, it couldn’t stop Saturdays. “This is my wife’s honor. It could go on forever. Well, if I live forever,” Bill said. After Martha died, Bill’s daughters worried about him. He began sending them pictures of the meals he cooked to show them he was taking care of himself. They later pushed him to start an Instagram account; an idea Bill admits he wanted nothing to do with at first. “There’s something really special about noticing what somebody likes. Paying attention to that, it’s a way of saying ‘I love you.’ You don’t have to say it out loud,” Rockford artist Lisa Frost says. Moved by his story, Lisa uses her paintbrush to capture the eggs, coffee, and strawberries from Bill’s photos, which had unintentionally formed the shape of hearts. “I just felt so compelled to paint this Martha’s breakfast painting. And I wanted to give it to Bill. And I didn’t know him,” Frost said. Now, Mitchell shares his meals and wisdom with more than 61,000 social media followers, many of whom have affectionately adopted him as their “online grandpa.” “My life is pretty adrift after Martha died. And this has given me a little rudder to keep steering the course,” Bill said. But no matter how many join him at the table, Bill says his Saturday morning breakfast will always belong to Martha. “I know she’s looking down, smiling upon me when I do that,” Bill said. Bill has also turned his signature catchphrase, “A HOT CUP OF COFFEE,” into t-shirts and sweatshirts. All profits from the apparel sales are donated to the Facial Pain Research Foundation, supporting research into the chronic pain condition Martha lived with for much of her life. Copyright 2026 Rockford News First. All rights reserved.