Susan Frawley of Butler called it a career Saturday night when she turned off the fryers in her food trailer.

The end of the Lawrence County Fair also marked the end of Frawley's 53 summers of selling fried vegetables and French fries at events, fairs and farm shows throughout Western Pennsylvania.

She started when she was 10 years old helping her father, Sam Capicotto.

“It all started at a flea market selling popcorn,” Frawley said. “We sold popcorn and caramel apples at the Butler Mall. It blossomed from there. My father had six trailers at one time. He got older and sold them.”

Twelve years ago, Frawley bought a 20-foot-long trailer from her father and mother, Gloria Capicotto, and hit the fair circuit on her own.

“We start in May with different events,” she said. “The Butler Fair is the first fair. We do Lawrence County, Clarion, the Stoneboro Fair, the Butler Farm Show, Jeep Fest, Parts A Rama. We do quite a bit in the summer.”

“A lot of the days are 12-hour days, depending on the weather,” Frawley said. “It was good until the farm show when it rained almost every day.

“That's the way it is. You are relying on the weather,” she said.

While she has her niece as a helper, her husband, James, limits himself to hauling the trailer to the event site and helping her set it up.

“He sets up the hoses and electricity. And leaves me in the camper,” she said.

Frawley said some of the events are far from her Butler home and the long days make it easier on her to just camp on site rather than commute 90 minutes or more.

Frawley's father had the trailer built. It still bears his name. It comes equipped with fryers, coolers and a hot water tank.

It's got everything Frawley needed to slice, bread and fry fresh cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, onion rings, French fries and serve up smoothies.

It takes about an hour of prep work before the trailer is ready to start serving up its fried treats.

Frawley said she does all the cooking and leaves serving the customers to her niece, who helps out and is taking over the trailer and the business.

“I've always done the cooking,” she said. “If I make them, they go out the way I want them to go out. If I wouldn't eat it, I wouldn't serve it.”

Of course, she's seen her share of grease burns, cuts and other injuries. She's worked on a broken foot.

“In 53 years, I missed one day when I had the flu. I slept all that day and was back the next,”she said.

The most popular items depend on which event she's attending. Some places want more fried vegetables; some want more fries.

Some items have dropped off her menu over the years. She used to sell pretzels and mozzarella sticks, but they took up more freezer space than their popularity warranted.

Asked why she's retiring, Frawley said, “Because I'm old. It's a lot of work. It comes to a point where your body aches. I have arthritis.

“My mind still thinks I'm young, but my but body is saying, 'Wake up, you are not young any more,'” she said.

“I've never had a summer off except for last year because you couldn't do anything because it was COVID.”

She's turning the trailer over to her niece to run until the season ends in October and for the summers after that.

“I'm going to miss the people,” she said. “They come up to me and say, 'Oh God, I have been waiting all year for this. I am so glad you are here.' That's a great feeling.”

She's seen a lot of changes in fairs and people and it's all been for the better, she said.

Her customers, she said, “They are out having fun. They want to eat the food they love. They are pleasant here. They are having a good time.”

“My motto is the one thing you don't forget is food. You know where you get good food,” Frawley said.