REMEMBER WHEN FROM THE PAST--ROE'S BAKERY

 Remember When
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Kenna Holm

Roe’s Bakery

    While driving through town recently, I was looking at all the empty buildings we have lining the streets. It made me so sad and I got to thinking back of how busy Payson Main Street was.  One  of  my favorite  places  was  Roe's Bakery. That place has been around so long and now it stands vacant and just a reminder of the better days.  The bakery was actually started in the 1920's but Roe Wilde didn't take it over until  He made everything from scratch and it was so delicious

   Snaff Wood reminded me of all the bakers Roe had trained, him among them.  Snaff said he was wonderful to work for and so many that he trained went on to have their own shops or work for big stores.
    I remember when Roe did the baking and he had a lot of good helpers. The ones I remember best is Larsen Wilde's wife Marsha (she was always so friendly), Teresa, his wife worked there forever, Venita Harmer, Colleen Wilson (she was Teresa's sister),  Shirley Houser and Leila Greenhalgh Houser among others.
  

 Snaff  said  Roe  was  always  a  hard working man and a good man to work for. He also trained his sons in the bakery but I think Garth was the only one to carry the trade on.
    I loved to go in there and then be so confused as to what to buy. Everything always looked  so  good.  I'm  a  fussy pie  eater and  I usually never buy pies from commercial places because I make my own but Roe's had good crust. His pies were delicious.  He made a mean meat pie you could buy with or without gravy. ymm.
     Roe trained Snaff  Wood and he went on to do great things. He started out working for Don's Cafe before he went to Roe's and learned the baking business. He worked over in Hawaii at the BYU Hawaii school and then he came back to Utah and worked in the BYU Food Services and retired from there after 19 1/2 years of service. He was a manager there
     Remember Roe’s  good Date Nut bread. I loved it and it seems you can't find it anymore. Bakery goods were made from scratch which is now almost a thing of the past. Everything comes in pre-done from somewhere--who knows.
I remember his Flatfeet sweet rolls, his Danish rolls were to die for and I could go on and on about the products he produced. Kind of makes your mouth water to think about them.
     Roe supplied Ray’s Market with bakery goods for many years until they built the new Payson Market and they provided their own bakery
    Roe trained many good men. To name a few--there was, Larsen Wilde, Keith Mendenhall, The Mecham brothers, Rex Peery, Darwin Olsen, LaZone Porter and I'm sure there are many more. It was like the Roe's BakerySchool of Learning. He taught them and then they went on to have their own bakeries or to work at a large place.
     Roe was a hard worker, not only at his bakerybut in the cityand his church. He was Bishop of Payson Third Ward. He was actually my Bishop for a few years before they divided the Third, West and Second wards and made the Sixth Ward.
    His motto was "the two best ingredients in a bakery to make the best are 1. Butter and 2. Love.  Roe had a love for his business and he passed it on to his son.

     Roe taught all of his children to work hard. They all helped  in  the  bakery when they were young but Garth is the one who took over the bakery and had a love for it like his dad. Roe and Teressa opened up a  gift  shop  that  was connected to the bakery and called it The Dowry. They carried a lot of beautiful items.
Now the bakery and gift shop stands vacant but isn’t good to remember when?