West Virginia woman with stage 4 cancer fulfills Taco Bell bucket list

An 86-year-old West Virginia woman who has long dreamed of seeing a Taco Bell open in her hometown recently managed to cross the grand opening off her bucket list after wondering if she would live long enough to see it happen.

The ‘Taco Bell Queen’ said she hopes the town, which has been a suburb of Charleston for years, will take her place. “I always wanted a Taco Bell in this little town of Sissonville,” Monk said. Monk said he was very excited when his son told him the restaurant was finally coming.

“My son… was trying to get one,” he said. “HE [came] One day he came to me and said: ‘Mom, I finally got them to come. They are coming. They’ll be here for you.”

But around the same time, Monk received devastating news. After contracting the virus and visiting his doctor, he said medical tests revealed he had stage 4 cancer. Monk said doctors told him he had a few months to live.

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“We suddenly learned that I had stage 4 cancer,” he said.

As construction continues on Taco Bell, Monk said he wonders if he will live to see the restaurant open. “As I was walking up and down the road in front of Taco Bell, they were working and I’m just trying to guess and figure out, will God let me stay here long enough to see Taco Bell open?” he asked. “They were meant to be for me, and now I may have to leave this world before I see it open.”

Not long after, Taco Bell’s construction in town was completed. On opening day, Monk said he was brought in early for the celebration. His son, who helped advocate for the restaurant, was expected to cut the ribbon, so he brought Pauline along.

That moment quickly turned into something bigger than a restaurant opening. The Sissonville resident has become a local legend and internet sensation.

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“They all yelled,” Monk said of the people waiting outside. “They said, ‘She’s the queen of Taco Bell.’ Now I’m known everywhere I go as the queen of Taco Bell.”

Pauline explains that her favorite Taco Bell order is Nachos BellGrande or chicken quesadilla, and for dessert, she enjoys cinnamon flavors. His family also welcomed his new title. While the Taco Bell story brought unexpected and wonderful attention to Monk, he said there’s more to his life than his love for the fast food chain.

Pauline Monk stands next to family members Pete Ferrell, Pauline Monk, Robin (Ferrell) Martin and Dana Ferrell. (Courtesy of Autumn Martin)

Monk said he grew up with seven siblings in the local town and always tried to be a donor. She said she baked pies for years for people in her church and community. “I’ve always gone to church since I was a young girl and have been a Christian over the years,” Monk said. “I gave and experienced the joy and happiness of giving pies and apple pies to people.”

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He said that this kindness has now been reciprocated.

“Everyone in church, everyone I knew, had pies,” she said. “And now they’re giving it back. I’m getting food from everywhere.”

Monk said she was cared for by her loving husband and family. “I have a good husband,” she said. “My husband took very good care of me.”

He said his faith helped him stay at peace as his cancer progressed. “I know God and God knows me,” Monk insisted. “I feel like he’ll pick me up when he’s ready to come home and I’m ready to go.” Because of his age, doctors advised against chemotherapy, Monk said. He said he later learned that the cancer had spread to his lungs.

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“It’s just a matter of time,” he said. “But while I’m here, I want to spread God’s word, be thankful, and help people as much as I can.”

As her story continues to make people smile, Monk said she is grateful for the love she has received from her family, community and strangers who have heard of the “Taco Bell queen.”