North Carolina Restaurant Owner 'Mama Dip' Dies At Age 89

A North Carolina restaurant owner known for her generosity and her fried chicken has died at the age of 89.

The family of Mildred Council says the woman better known as Mama Dip died Sunday at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. Daughter Spring Council said Monday that her mother no longer worked at Mama Dip's Kitchen because of health problems.

Council was the granddaughter of a slave. She opened the restaurant in Chapel Hill in 1976 with $40 to purchase food and $24 for change. She moved to a larger space in 1999.

Council stood 6-foot-2 and got the nickname of "Dip" when she was young because her arms were long enough to dip water from barrels.

Spring Council says she'll remember her mother for her cooking and her willingness to help others.