After 33 years on the job, Frank retires from local bakery

This article submitted by Linda Stelling on 04/29/97.

Today marks the last day of work at the Paynesville Bakery for Marcella Frank, Paynesville. She has gone to work faithfully for 33 years.

She started at the bakery when it was owned by Phil Young. She worked up front waiting on customers. Then she worked under Young's daughter and her husband, Harry and Carolyn Welter, when they took over the bakery. For the past nine years, she has worked for Tom and Mary Hayenga.

Among the changes she has seen over the years are the prices of items, the replacement of equipment with more modern pieces and the addition of different bakery items.

Marcella usually starts her day at the bakery at 5:30 a.m. on Monday through Thursday and 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Her daily routine includes icing the sweet rolls upon her arrival, so the rolls are ready to put in the display cases by 7 a.m. Then she heads to the back room to bag bread. Once a week she ices cookies. She decorates cookies for holidays plus smiley faces. Hayengas mix the icing from scratch and store it in big pails for Marcella. She has a variety of colors ready for her to select from.

Once Marcella is done bagging the bread orders which go out of town, she then starts on the bread which is placed in the front display area. Then the cleanup starts. She cleans all the pans, sweeps the floor and does anything else that needs to be done before heading for home. "Once in a while when I need help, Vern comes down and helps," she added.

Working at the bakery has been a family affair for Marcella. At one time her son Allan, daughter Karen, granddaughter Melissa worked at the bakery. Marcella's husband, Vern, will continue to work there after her retirement. He comes in Wednesday and Friday afternoons for one hour and cleans the machines.

Marcella said one of the more popular items at the bakery are the donut holes. "On Crazy Day, when we are done, we all feel a little crazy as the donut holes are in such demand," she added.

"After April 30, Vern and I will trade jobs," she said. "Vern did all the washing and cleaning while I worked, now we'll have to swap jobs. He can clean at the bakery and I'll clean at home. Vern also has his 28 sheep to take care of."

Marcella says she will miss meeting all the people who came into the bakery.

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