{"id":841,"date":"2026-06-01T23:38:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T23:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=841"},"modified":"2026-06-01T23:38:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T23:38:02","slug":"irmo-mourns-a-community-staple-mcdonalds-worker-known-for-her-kindness-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=841","title":{"rendered":"Irmo mourns a community \u2018staple,\u2019 McDonald\u2019s worker known for her kindness"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>An Irmo McDonald\u2019s worker is starting a movement on local social media for her everyday kindness, \u201cbig personality\u201d and her ability to remember just about everyone. Wanda Morton, 69, died late last week after being a \u201cstaple\u201d in the community for over 30 years.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=840\">SC native Peabo Bryson, famous Disney music singer, undergoing care for a stroke<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor every person who thinks they don\u2019t make a difference, that an act of kindness or a simple smile doesn\u2019t make an effect on someone else\u2019s day. Think again,\u201d Columbia resident Donna Arvay said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<div> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"314\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMcDonalds7417SaintAndrewsRd%2Fvideos%2F1098482084423696%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" width=\"560\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Arvay\u2019s days, she said, were always brighter when she stopped at the McDonald\u2019s where Morton worked at the intersection of St. Andrews Road and Lake Murray Boulevard. She is hoping to continue the movement that Morton started, Arvay said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Arvay and other Irmo residents began to add #belikewanda to their posts.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Morton got COVID-19 in 2022. Before retiring that same year, she was recognized by McDonald\u2019s for her service, sparking a huge reaction within the community.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Her support was \u201cmind-blowing\u201d, Morton said in a 2022 McDonald\u2019s interview.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Many residents said they would drive farther to go to \u201cMorton\u2019s McDonald\u2019s.\u201d Other customers said they didn\u2019t even like McDonald\u2019s, just Morton.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody knew Ms. Wanda,\u201d Irmo resident Lindsay Protopapas said. \u201cWhat made her special was she made you feel like she knew you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Every morning since 1988, Wanda Morton woke up at 5 a.m. to work the drive-through. She could distinguish people by their voice. She knew customers\u2019 orders by their car\u2019s model and color, Morton said in the 2022 interview.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe didn\u2019t cure cancer or explore space. She took our orders over a speaker but in doing so made all us feel like a long-time friend,\u201d Protopapas said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>A friend posted about Morton on Facebook after her passing some time last week. People across social media quickly began sharing their own stories at the drive-through window.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=839\">SC reaches deal with charter authorizer it accused of withholding key financial records<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Irmo resident Susan Lucas told The State that she has known Morton since her 41-year-old son was five.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was back when McDonald\u2019s made pizzas,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Morton would make his pizza and always seemed to find \u201cthe last good toy\u201d for her son\u2019s Happy Meals.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were always hugs, lots of hugs,\u201d Lucas said. \u201cRest well, sweet friend, it\u2019s well deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Every post is filled with comments. And in almost every story, residents say that Morton remembered them when they visited.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHer distinct voice would always bring a glimpse of happiness&#8230;it wasn\u2019t just McDonald\u2019s either. She would always talk to you in public, Kroger, or anywhere else,\u201d resident Steven Johnson said. \u201cShe will be missed in the Irmo community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>As the Midlands says goodbye to a beloved member of their community, many promise to continue sharing Morton\u2019s everyday kindness.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo easy Ms. Wanda to the next place\u2014you worked so hard. It\u2019s time to rest now,\u201d Protopapas wrote in a Facebook post.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=838\">Irmo mourns a community \u2018staple,\u2019 McDonald\u2019s worker known for her kindness<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Irmo residents honor Wanda Morton, a McDonald\u2019s staple for 30+ years, launching #belikewanda to celebrate her kindness and memory across the Midlands community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Irmo mourns a community \u2018staple,\u2019 McDonald\u2019s worker known for her kindness - 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