Skip Fletcher, the man behind the State Fair of Texas's famous Fletcher's Corny Dogs, has died after battling pneumonia.
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Fletcher, also known as the "Corny Dog King," was the man behind the dog for 36 years. He'd helped corny dogs become a staple at the State Fair of Texas. In a heartbreaking post, the family-run company announced Fletcher's death on Facebook.
"We are extremely saddened to tell our fans that our Corny Dog King, Skip Fletcher has passed on," they wrote. "As we are preparing for our 75th year at the State Fair of Texas we've unexpectedly lost our patriarch. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we go about the difficult tasks ahead and adjust to being without the presence of such an amazing man. Skip leaves behind a legacy of love, devotion and adoration for you, his fans, that we will humbly continue."
Extremely saddened at the passing of our patriarch, the Corny Dog King, Skip Fletcher. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.
— Fletchers Corny Dogs (@FletchersDogs) January 31, 2017
Fletcher first learned about corn dogs when he was only eight years old. According to NBCDFW, his father taught him the perfect recipe back in 1942. When the family opened their stand at the State Fair of Texas people were really confused. He told the news station that people would see the dough-wrapped meat and ask, "What is that thing?"
Fast forward to the future and the corn dogs have become famous. The Fletcher family's corny dog stand transformed into a multimillion dollar business, and Fletcher was a large part of that success.
Duringh the fair's three-week run, the Corny Dog King and his family managed to sell around 600,000 dogs. His wife, Gigi Fletcher, spoke with reporters in 2015 and opened up about what the stand meant to the fair.
"We are a Texas tradition. We're right up there, and proud to be. It's more about that joy in connecting with other families and connecting with the state of Texas."
Fletcher's Corny Dog fans have been expressing their condolences to the family on Facebook. They've also been sharing memories and photos with Skip Fletcher on the page in an effort to honor his memory.
