Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84. Cheney served as vice president under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. He is being remembered for his decades in public service.
Cheney was no stranger to Southwest Florida, often visiting the area. Twenty-one years ago, he visited the Farmers Market Restaurant in Fort Myers to host a roundtable discussion.
Joann Mow, who has worked at the restaurant since 1969, shared her memories of Cheney's visit.
"It was a very, very busy day," said Mow.
Mow recalled the day vividly, noting that the restaurant was closed to the public for the event.
"We were closed to the public. It was by invitation only that the people were here. It took weeks to prepare for the visit," said Mow.
Cheney hosted a roundtable discussion with handpicked participants during his visit in 2004. Mow described the preparations leading up to his arrival.
"We had to be here for hours in advance. Everybody had to be approved at the time. The dogs came in and searched the building. All the fans, all the noise, everything inside had to be turned off. It had to be perfectly quiet, and that was for security reasons," said Mow.
Valncia Esquitin, the general manager of Farmers Market Restaurant, expressed pride in the restaurant's history.
"Farmers Market Restaurant is a historic place. We've been here since 1952, so it's really exciting to know that, you know, we have what we had, a vice president that came to see us," said Esquitin.
Mow said she will never forget the day and the emotions she felt.
"I think we were very proud of the fact that we were here, that he was in our restaurant where we worked for so many years," said Mow.
Cheney also visited Estero to thank those who helped deliver a second term, and in 2006, he visited Naples to speak to the Collier County Republican Party.