Gusti Crunkleton, 66: Ran a popular restaurant in Clayton

By Rick Badie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gusti Crunkleton had always wanted to run her own restaurant.

Three years ago, her dream became reality. She opened the Bon Appetit Restaurant in the North Georgia town of  Clayton. American cuisine was the specialty; the prime rib was second to none, said her stepdaughter, Leah Coker of Flowery Branch.

"It was one of the most popular restaurants in Clayton,"  her stepdaughter said. "Fine dining. A lot of people will miss it."

Some German dishes also graced the menu, a nod to Mrs. Crunkleton's roots. She was born in Leipzig, Germany, came to America, and in 1961 became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

"She had always been a restaurant person," said John Crunkleton, her husband of 31 years.  "Her place was fine dining with a casual atmosphere."

Bon Appetit recently closed. Two months ago,  Mrs. Crunkleton was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died Tuesday at her home in Clayton.  She was 66.

Her funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at the First Baptist Church of  Cornelia. Mountain View Funeral Home of  Blairsville is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Crunkleton  lived in a foster home in West Berlin for two years before coming to the United States with her mother and half sister. They settled in Whitinsville, Mass., where she graduated from high school.

As an adult, Mrs. Crunkleton eventually made her way south to Greenville, S.C. There, she worked at a popular restaurant called Talk of the Town. It's where she met her future husband.

Now, Talk of the Town is closed.

So is Bon Appetit.

"They had white tablecloth service in the dining area," said Mary Jullman, a volunteer at the Clayton Chamber of Commerce, "and a separate bar area. It was a popular place to have drinks on Friday nights."

Additional survivors include a daughter, Betty-Jo Youngblood of Jackson; two sons, Johnny Kuipers and Adam Kuipers, both of Clayton; another stepdaughter, Mary Alice Grant of Woodstock; and 13 grandchildren.