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The first meeting of the Lakengren Women's Club will kick off on March 7, 2007 at the Valhalla Lodge. Sue Pohlabel will be introducing two special guests at 1:00 p.m. First will be a special message from Terry Parks of Hatchet Drive. Terry will share his interest in a brand new product on the market, followed by some short announcements and business matters by the Executive Committee.
At about 1:45 p.m., Lydia Beachey Royer of St. Clair Street in Eaton will tell the members - former, as well as new residents - about her small baking business called "Home Made by Lydia Royer." She will demonstrate how to decorate a cake and will have on display other baked good items and jams that she has in her repertoire.
Lydia was raised in an Amish home in North Eastern Ohio, where she learned to bake breads, cakes, cookies and pies. She also learned how to can fruits and vegetables and make jams, jellies and mincemeat. When she was 16 years old, she was invited to take cake decorating lessons at her friend’s house, one evening per week, with 10 other Amish girls, for 8 weeks. Her friend did house cleaning for a cake decorator who said she could give them lessons for $10.00, plus $3.00 for supplies.
She was the youngest member of the class, but I enjoyed the lessons very much. Her older sister took lessons also, but she was the only member who later made a hobby and business out of cake decorating. She decorated a few wedding cakes and birthday cakes before she left home at the age of 21 and moved to the Eaton area.
Seven years later, she started working at The Antiquity House Inn in downtown Eaton on North Barron Street and was employed there over 6 years, with the last 3 years being in the bakery. This is where she started decorating cakes regularly for dinner guests and outside orders.
About 15 years ago, Lydia and her sister entered a Gingerbread House contest, but they decided to make a replica of the Roberts Covered Bridge instead. They received no national award from the Good Housekeeping judges, but the cake was displayed at the old Miller's Super Market, the Eaton Library, and the Preble County Historical Farm. It was featured within the Dayton Daily News and other local newspapers.
Lydia has done very little advertising; it has all been by word-of-mouth. She decorates about 3 wedding cakes each year and does many birthday cakes - all from scratch.
About five years ago, she started baking breads, cakes, cookies and making jams, apple and peach butters to sell at the local flea market at the Preble County fairgrounds, but she has now stopped going there to gain control of her health. She occasionally sets up her "Home Made by Lydia Royer" baked goods at craft shows and has several regular customers for jams, cakes and pies.
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