06/10/2022
This story was written by a young woman sharing how Lev (and Velma) touched her life as a child. It is so beautifully written that I just had to share it with you all.
In this day and age, most people can’t imagine working the same job for their entire career let alone the same (back-breaking) job for over 50 years. But, that’s exactly what Lev DeJonghe did. He tirelessly poured himself into his bakery for nearly 57 years, waking up well before dawn so that his small town patrons could satisfy their sweet tooth before making their morning commute.
For anyone who has lived in (or near) Tecumseh in the last 50 years, you know that Lev’s bakery is synonymous with consistent quality and fair prices.
And, in these turbulent times, there is something so comforting about stepping through the front (or back) door of that bakery, smelling the sugar, seeing the brightly lit display cases of treats and being able to order the exact same thing you ordered 25 years ago.
I don’t know of any other businesses who provide free waters to those passing by or a free cookie to every single child who comes through the door. So, generosity is another cornerstone of this business.
I was privileged to live next door to Lev and Velma until about the age of 12 and my childhood was a happy one due, in part, to them. The first tree I ever climbed was in their side yard, I spent countless hours on the wooden swing that hung from the tree in their back yard and playing in the corn field behind their house. I would swim in their indoor pool with their grandkids Mandy and Ben and we loved to play on the “huge” dirt pile behind Lev’s barn. Even though Lev worked so hard, he would sometimes mow our lawn (he had a riding mower!) or clear the snow from our driveway in the winter. And in the fall, he and Velma would have huge parties in their barn with cider and donuts and Lev would give the neighborhood kids hay rides around his property. I never went sledding at The Pit because we always went sledding on the hill at Lev and Velma’s house whether they were home or not. At Halloween, they gave out donuts instead of candy. So at the end of the night, our pillowcase of candy had that unique smell of a bunch of different kinds of candy mixed together with a hint of donut added in. When I graduated from high school, my party was on a Saturday and we served soft pretzels from Lev’s. Now, I have a daughter who is almost 5 and every year at her birthday party we serve those same pretzels because everyone loves them. My mom had a cake decorating business for several years and, other than her own cake, Lev’s was the only kind she liked. Their slogan was well chosen…Lev’s Bakery, where baking is an art!
Thank you, Lev (and family), for so many years of hard work, generosity, and dedication to your craft. Your baked goods have been at all of our tables and you have brought countless smiles to our community.
Lev will forever be missed by all who knew him. He is a local legend and he has left an indelible mark on this town and in the hearts and minds of so many. As our town mourns the loss of a wonderful man and business owner, let us also remember that his family is grieving the loss of their husband, father, grandfather and brother. Let’s lift them up in the days and months ahead and give back some of the love that they have so graciously shared with all of us for so many years.
