Founder of Anna Mae Bakery Dies After Battle With Cancer
Anna Mae Wagler, founder of anna mae bakery, has died after a battle with cancer, leaving the Millbank community and her family mourning. She began selling homemade pies at the end of her laneway in 1978 and built that start into a restaurant that opened with seven tables in 1991 at Perth Line 72. Her recipes, a staff of roughly 100 primarily from Amish and Mennonite backgrounds, and a dining room that now holds nearly 200 people mark the legacy she leaves behind.
Anna Mae Bakery: From Laneway Pies to a 50-Table Restaurant
Anna Mae Wagler’s business began modestly in 1978 with homemade pies sold from her laneway. By 1991 she moved the operation to Perth Line 72 and opened what became the restaurant people know today, starting with just seven tables. Over time the operation expanded to more than 50 tables and seating for nearly 200 guests, a footprint built on recipes and traditions she developed. The business later employed around 100 people, many from Amish and Mennonite backgrounds, and continued to sell the traditional Mennonite cooking and baking that drew regulars from across the region.
Community Reaction and Immediate Responses
Reaction was swift on the restaurant’s social media accounts, where the business posted reflections on her life and work. Anna Mae’s Restaurant wrote: “she built something truly special even when many believed it wouldn’t succeed in a small town. ” The restaurant added: “She was an incredibly hardworking woman, always on the go, and found her greatest joy in caring for the people around her. ” The social post attracted thousands of interactions from local businesses and community members remembering her fondly, underlining the role the establishment played beyond food—serving as a gathering place and a cultural touchstone.
What This Means for the Restaurant and Community
The restaurant’s public statements note that because of Anna Mae’s determination and heart they were able to continue sharing her recipes and traditions. Anna Mae retired in 2001, but the operation continued to carry her name and culinary approach forward. With her passing, the business and the wider Millbank community face the task of preserving those recipes and the customer experience she created for decades.
Anna Mae Wagler passed away surrounded by family after a battle with cancer, a detail shared by the restaurant and community statements. The announcement and the outpouring on social channels underscore how the anna mae bakery became more than a place to eat; it became a fixture in local life, built from pies at the end of a laneway to a full-service restaurant that sustained generations of staff and customers.
Looking ahead, the restaurant has signaled a commitment to continue sharing Anna Mae’s recipes and traditions. The community will be watching how the business preserves that legacy, how its around-100 employees who come primarily from Amish and Mennonite backgrounds will be supported, and how the anna mae bakery name will be carried forward in the months to come.
