In Northeast, a celebration of business … and the beehive hairdo

Last night, Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser hosted a celebration of a few things all from the same era: the Dairy Queen on Independence Avenue, which has been there forever; John and Esther McMurry, who run the place together; and the beehive hairdo, which the Mrs. sports something fierce.

Just look at that thing. You could hide a full rack of billiard balls in there.

As Pitch food critic Charles Ferruzza wrote over in Fat City on Monday, The McMurrys have owned and operated the Dairy Queen for 29 years as the neighborhood changed around them. That’s why the Funk proclaimed them good people —business people — and stood around the parking lot eating hand-dipped Dilly Bars and rubbing elbows with neighborhood personalities. Amy Ford was there.

Esther started working at the DQ as a counter girl 13 years before she and John bought the place. As with the beehive, when this woman finds something she likes, she sticks with it.