BILLINGS — At Crazy Mary’s Fish and Chips, the only thing more beloved than the food is owner Mary Jackson herself. And after she recently suffered a massive heart attack, the Billings community is stepping up in her time of need.
"I have heard from so many people that this is the best place, and you cannot get a better fish taco or fish and chips anywhere else," said Mary's sister-in-law, Meghan Jensen, on Friday.
It's a sentiment felt by many in Billings when it comes to Crazy Mary's Fish and Chips. But as highly as people speak about her food, they speak even greater about Mary herself.
"You’ll never hear anyone say anything negative about her. They’ll say how crazy she is, how fun she is, her food is great and she’s just out there loving life.... She’s a hard worker, she’s fun, she makes you feel great about herself," said Ashley Robichaux, owner of another Billings restaurant, Cajun Phatty's, on Friday.
This past Monday, Jackson was admitted to the hospital after suffering a heart attack.
"She was complaining about pains in her chest over the weekend, but it went away so nothing you think of, so she wasn’t having a full-blown, 'I’m dying' and refused to go, she just didn’t know she was having it," said her brother, Gil Olson, on Friday.
Jackson was unconscious in the ICU for three days but did wake up Thursday. She’s stable, but family says it’s going to be a long road to recovery.
"If we can help her, we’re going to help her however we can do that. I think that she’s just a pillar in this community. People love her," added Robichaux.
Robichaux said Cajun Phatty's will be donating 20% of the money they bring in on Friday to help Jackson with her expenses.
"She started from nowhere just like me. I feel like I have a personal connection with her. We bounce things off each other every now and then. She’s just a great person," Robichaux added.
Adding to the problem: Jackson is currently uninsured. Her family has set up a GoFundMe for her and said the response has been incredible.
"It's been an outpouring of support, in all honesty, I mean, I had people trying to reach me and I didn’t even know it," added Jensen.
Jackson's brother said it’s exactly how she would be if the tables were turned. Olson spent three months in a coma after getting COVID-19 during the pandemic.
He said the support she showed him is just the kind of person she is.
"She’s always willing to take her shirt off her back for anyone.... I told her I’m not going to let her lose this, she put too much effort into this, I’m not going to let her lose it," Olson said.
Related: Crazy Mary's reopening as food truck in northern Billings
