Day 11: Having My Cake and Eating It Too

Last Thursday, I accompanied my co-intern Kate to the Swedish Bakery to conduct an interview. Kate had scheduled an appointment at 12 PM with the owner, Marlies Stanton. We were escorted to the kitchen by her daughter, Kathy, who was very helpful and hospitable. The museum leant us an iPad with a recording device that could easily transfer our interview to a computer. Since Kate is working on the oral history project, her questions are more about Marlies's life and her experiences in Andersonville. Marlies had worked for the previous owner, Gosta Bjuhr, from 1971 to 1979. When he retired, she took over and slowly recruited her family members, officially making the Swedish Bakery a family business.

They expanded the bakery greatly, tripling its size and increasing its staff. Although Marlies is German, she has upheld many of the traditional Swedish pastries, namely Princess Cake and Swedish Fruit Cake. In addition, the Swedish Bakery has coffee cake, breads, spritzes, and dommars. I was fortunate that Marlies and her employees have lived in the Andersonville area for many years, and were able to recall many of the establishments that are now gone. They were able to assist each other in identifying and confirming past businesses. What interested me most about the interview was a particular cigar shop that everybody remembered, but no one could remember what it was called or who the owners were, despite associating with them for many years.

Yum!

As part of the oral history project, Kate will transcribe our interview, which will allow me to map out the places they recounted. Fortunately, they recalled the places by remembering which order they were in. It was a pleasure meeting with the owners of the Swedish Bakery, a business that maintains a family atmosphere and excellent quality desserts. On our way out, Kathy was kind enough to give us "goody-bags" as a memento of our visit.