(Le Mars) — After making donuts, pastries, and loaves of bread for 55 years with Vander Meer Bakery, Dorothy Nitzschke worked her final day with the bakery on Saturday. Friends, relatives, and long-time faithful customers gathered at the bakery Saturday morning for a surprise retirement party for Nitzschke to
wish her well during her retirement. Nitzschke says working at the local bakery was the only job she had held, and the baker remembers her first day of work at Vander Meer Bakery when she was just 19 years old.
Nitzschke says in years past, Vander Meer Bakery was a busy work place.
Nitzschke says at one time Vander Meer Bakery had over 30 employees.
She says she has no idea how many donuts and loafs of bread she helped make during the 55 year tenure of work. However, she believes she made more than a thousand cakes, which at one time was her favorite activity at the bakery.
The long-time bakery employee says the largest cake she helped decorate was a wedding cake that had eight layers. However, not all the cakes were perfect, and on occasion some mishaps would happen.
(photo contributed)
The 55 year baker recalls the many changes that occurred while she was employed at Vander Meer Bakery.
Although other bakeries have entered the Le Mars market place, Nitzschke doesn’t believe the added competition has hurt Vander Meer’s business.
