Edward “Art” Scherer was an entrepreneur before his time, bringing McDonald’s restaurants to Austin and the surrounding areas.

Art, 83, died Oct. 15, 2015, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Home in Austin. He moved his family to Austin and brought the first McDonald’s to Austin in 1969, and later opened the second one in town.

Harry and Dorothy Irish, Scherer’s in-laws, were the original owners of that first McDonald’s, but Harry died while the building at 1809 S. Federal Ave., Mason City, was still under construction. Scherer stepped in and helped his mother-in-law operate it, becoming the general manager.

“Dad put his life on hold and decided to move there to help her out,” said Art’s daughter, Lori Scherer-Hall. “And I say history was written after that.”

Art’s wife, Kay Scherer, said his character showed through in that move.

“That’s the kind of guy he was, I think,” she said.

He remained in the business for 43 years and owned eight McDonald’s restaurants at the time of his retirement in 2002. His son, David, and daughter, Nancy, have continued in the family business of operating McDonald’s restaurants. Lori also worked in the business for about 25 years, and she said it was a goal of her father’s to have a store for each of his children if they wanted to take up the business.

“He could see what was going to happen,” Lori said. “He had a vision to have a store for each of his children.”

Scherer was an industrial engineer before working with McDonalds, and Lori said her dad likely wouldn’t have gotten involved with the restaurant if his father-in-law hadn’t passed away.

“Whenever they built one of the new McDonalds, he had hands in helping design it too,” Lori said.

“So his education at Illinois Institute of Technology carried over in his own personal life and stores,” Kay added.

Art was very active in the community, and served as president of the Mason City Jaycees, chaired “Celebration Austin,” was president of the Miss Minnesota Pageant, and was a board president at Westminster Presbyterian Church. He was a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, The Development Corporation of Austin, the Rotary Club and Lions Club, sponsored the Rotary’s D.A.R.E. Bike-A-Thon for many years and was one of the founding members of the Chamber’s 100 Club.

“He believed in community support,” Lori said. “He had a business, and the community gave him the business and he himself returned it. And anytime he could be involved in anything, you didn’t have to ask, he was always there.”

With McDonald’s, he served as president of both the regional and national advertising cooperatives and as a director on the Ronald McDonald House board of directors. In 2005, Scherer received the Lifetime Achievement Award for business success and service to the community.

“Just to give back because people are coming and eating at McDonalds and in return he felt, I think, the only thing to do is thank them by helping out in the community,” Kay said.

In a 1985 interview with the Globe Gazette, Scherer reflected on the opening of the Mason City McDonald’s 25 years earlier.

“Our first year, this town wasn’t used to drive-ins being open in the winter,” he said. “I can remember people coming in and saying, ‘Glad to see you’re open again.’ I’d been there all winter. I wonder where they were?”

When the first McDonald’s opened in Mason City, it was one of about 160 nationwide in 29 states. The business was growing, but it was still somewhat of a question mark, said Scherer.

Ten years later it was a national institution and it just kept continuing to grow.

In the 1985 interview, Scherer said, “You hear it repeated by everything from Johnny Carson to sitcoms: McDonald’s is a natural word in the American vocabulary.”

Scherer was also a family man, who was very caring and giving without asking for anything in return. Kay said he was always very appreciative to his parents and mentors that helped him get where he did.

“Family was very important no matter if you were with them 24/7 or just supported them,” she said.

A friend and banker in Mason City, Jim Niemants remembered Art as a family man and a goo businessman.

“He truly was a pioneer,” Niemants said. “He was a very smart businessman but more importantly, a gentleman and a good family man.

“He was a really neat individual. No wonder he was so successful.”

Stores Scherer opened during his time with McDonald’s include:

•2 in Austin

•3 in Albert Lea

•1 in Clear Lake

•2 in Mason City

John Skipper of the Mason City Globe Gazette contributed to this article.