116 Main - Ellendale Bakery / Fran’s Bakery & Cafe

116 Main - Ellendale Bakery / Fran’s Bakery & Cafe

Records show that N.S. Diehl operated the Home Bakery in Ellendale in 1922. There were several other bakeries in the town from its very beginning. Otto Sehnert purchased the bakery in Ellendale in 1929 from N.S. Diehl. The son of Richard Sehnert, who had moved to South Dakota from Germany in 1888, learned the bakery trade, as did his three brothers. In the European tradition, the oldest son took over the family bakery in South Dakota and then helped the younger brothers buy bakeries elsewhere, including the one in Ellendale.

Otto passed away in 1930 and his wife continued the business, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Wade, for about six years. The Wades acquired the business and sold it in May 1948 to the Mil1er Brothers, Howard, Robert and Walter, from Valley City, ND. It is interesting to note here that O.A. Finney operated the Ellendale Jewelry from this location, he having the west half of the front part of the establishment and Mr. Miller displaying his baked goods on the east half.

In 1957 the jewelry business was moved across the street to become Finney Jewelry. Miller managed the bakery until March of 1954 when it was sold to Marv Dahl. In April 1962 it was sold to Les McFarland, who operated it for five years before selling to Fran and Carol Cox. The Coxes provided El1endale with a fine selection of baked goods until their retirement in 2006.

Randy and Norma Trautmann took over ownership in September 2006 and carried on the fine traditions of bakery products under the tutelage of Fran and Carol Cox.