This article ran on July 25, 2005 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Thanks to Nancy Fennell Hawkins for sending me the clipping of this article. I’m betting there are still a lot of folks around who remember the Laux Bakery in Maplewood.
Much thanks to Joe Holleman who wrote this article for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Doug Houser April 24, 2021
My grandmother was friends with Lauxs .she lived off Randall’s right behind. Old 711. ((Which was plumbing shop before 711. ) . As kids it was such treat to spend night and Saturday am walk alley to shop and get Cinnamon bread for breakfast . As many yrs passed as well as Gram otto. 1982. Soon I’d be going to work and see Laux on Delmar.. so excited.. the smell brought me back to yrs of Maplewood.. I would stop buy all cinnamon bread and deliver to siblings and cousins .. and was saddest when I went back w friend ..she couldn’t find good cinnamon bread wo raisins lol I said I knew place … pulled up and It had been sold. Sad beyond belief. I did stop as jillys girls if the left cinnamon bread recipe with them but they didn’t. I still at 62 yo miss that bread.. memories all we have
we always pronounced their name “Locks”… one of the kids Jay Laux class of “69” would bring baked goods to teachers and coaches once in awhile
How did they pronounce their last name?
Laux’s Bakery was the only one I knew. My brother and I would walk to the bakery early Saturday morning, we were always rewarded with a free cookie.
Mr. & Mrs Laux baked my wedding cake and it was wonderful.
Jean (Wiss) McDaniel
Yes, that’s the location.
Every Saturday we went to the Laux bakery for our donuts and bread.
I used to walk by the Maplewood bakery every morning on my way to high school in the late 60’s. There was a walk way right next to the bakery, that we would use to cut through from Big Bend. I can still remember the great aroma coming out of there every day. I just happened to go into the bakery on Delmar in 1995 and asked if they were the same Laux bakery from Maplewood. I couldn’t believe it. I wound up talking to George and Ruth about the Maplewood bakery for quite awhile. They were great.
We moved into the neighborhood in August, 2004 and I vaguely remember them being open or having just closed up shop around that time. I used to work a Lake Forest Pastry Shop and miss the little independent bakeries.
I SO miss the Black Forest Strawberry Cakes from Lake Forest. We used to get them for every special birthday. I tried to recreate it a few times, but … no …
I remember Laux bakery from days of old. Great people, super bakery goods and close to home. At that time, I think there were two bakeries in Maplewood, Laux and Sutton Bakery.
I went to school with Judy and I think one other Laux.
After reading this, I wonder how he found time for model railroads? I never seemed to have enough time.
Used to go there in the sixties on Saturday morning with my Mom. I learned if I would just stare at the cookies behind the glass one of the elderly ladies would eventually give me one.
So good!!
Did he sell his shop? He should make and sell a book of recipes!! Great Story.
We (myself and my 8 younger siblings) were tasked with walking there to pick up a gooey butter cake often. Phenomenal folks and a huge loss to the MRH area. Unrelated, I miss the regular articles by Joe Holleman, Bill McClellan and Elaine Viets. Without them I cancelled my subscription.
Hey Ed, Thanks for your gooey memory. As for the Post-Dispatch, Bill and Joe are still working. Elaine as been gone for a long time, of course. I subscribe to the digital version.
Yep but not regulars anymore & I became disappointed with the rest of the paper so I cancelled. I’m retired Army lifer but throughout all my stateside and overseas tours (’70-’92) my mom clipped every Viets article every day and then would send them to me in bundles. She had great St. Louis humor.
It’s me again!! I will always fondly remember the Laux Bakery on Big Bend!! Mr. Laux was so friendly, he knew us by name when we were in his store (and we were in there a lot). And George was in my class from grade school through high school. Ev Callaway had told me she thought he had opened a store somewhere. So one time I was visiting my sister, Diane, we found him at his new store and went in for a visit. He didn’t recognize me at first, but after I told him we had a nice visit about the old days. His wife was a collector of old Cookie Jars, which were on display at the store. I’m so glad I got to visit the Laux Bakery one last time, delicious pastries, and a very warm welcome from George and Ruth!!
That’s a great story, Nancy. Thank you for sharing it and thanks for sending the newspaper clipping which I notice was sent to you by Ev Callaway.
I wonder if they are still living. Would be a great person to interview about the history of Maplewood. I mean a bakery and a blacksmith shop out back. What a combination of history from our area. I came to Maplewood about the time they moved out. I don’t remember them so maybe they moved about the same time as I arrived.