Who Was Little Debbie Anyway?

Going about our daily lives, only the most curious really stop to think about where the name of their favorite food brands came from. Who was Mr. McDonald, anyway? And was their an actual Mr. Goodbar? What about Little Debbie, who was she?

Back in 1934, O.D. McKee and his wife Ruth purchased a failing bakery, and their idea to sell small cakes at low prices was a huge success. By 1960, McKee Foods was ready to expand into mass production, with a plan to sell 12 individually wrapped cakes in a carton. Looking for a name, they saw a photo of their 4-year-old granddaughter, Debbie, and decided to name the new cakes Little Debbies. They handed the photo over to artist Pearl Mann, who aged her up by about five years, and the rest is history.

Today, "little" Debra E. McKee-Fowler is still involved with the company, serving as executive vice president and board member. Her face is still on the packages.