Most of us found it difficult to bake even one apple pie. But a 98-year-old man, Leo Keller, baked 144. Yes its 144!!!
Now question is why is he doing so? Leo lost his beloved wife in 1993 due to dementia complications. After her death he took up baking to honor his mother as well as his wife. He learn the cooking skills from his mother when he was just 13 years old.
Talking about how he started it, Leo said
“I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was moaning and moping, and I said, ‘I’ve got to have something to do,’ and that’s how it started.Everything I do, I do it with love. That’s my secret ingredient is love.”
Now Leo bakes pies, cakes and more every day and gives away everything for free. Moreover, he approached local community organizations and funeral homes to connect with families having a hard time.
“They’re pretty darn good, they really are,” Kellner’s pastor, Rev. Michael Houlihan of St. Michael’s Church told the Tribune. “Every time we have a funeral here, he has one brought over. And every time one of us goes over there he gives us one. He’s always been that way.”
Keller not only bakes pies and cakes but he also try to customize it to make sure that everyone enjoy every bite. He even bake special pies for diabetics, filling with fruit and removing the sugar.
“To see the smile on their face. That’s worth all the money in the world. Nobody can buy that,” Keller, whose caregiver occasionally helps make the baked goods, commented. “That smile means so much to me.”
And Kellner’s made quite the impact.
“I’ve got friends from all over,” he said. “I’ve gotten thank-you cards from Alaska, where they’ve attended a funeral for which I’ve furnished a cake.”
Through his baking Kellner has not only helped the community, he’s fostered it.
He hosts parties at his home for which he bakes, and Kellner constantly attends gatherings — never empty-handed, of course. He’s even helped some neighbors’ children learn to cook so they can spread love just as he does.
“I do it for everybody,” said Kellner. “That’s just the way I am.”
Kellner believes that this inclination to give to everyone just might be the secret to a long, happy life.
“I try to be happy,” said Kellner. “I place nobody above me, I place nobody below me. I like everybody and I’ve never held a grudge.”
innermostenergon on April 12nd, 2017 at 08:04 UTC »
Reminds me of a woman I know from the local animal shelter. She lost her husband, who was her only means of comfort and enjoyment in the world. So she dedicates her time to the shelter animals and adoption efforts, feeding every dog (the shelter holds 200+) a treat every day (with the exception of diet restricted dogs of course), and ferrying goods and supplies to foster homes, low-income families and other efforts all over my town. Since we're low-income, she helps us a lot by donating tons of dry cat food for our two rescues. She's also donated plenty of beds, a water fountain, and toys for them. She occasionally brings easily adoptable pets (like small kittens, poodles etc) to outposts like my local Petco, which has a four-cat setup for adoptable animals. Really just all-around incredible person.
jax_in_yo_crack on April 12nd, 2017 at 07:18 UTC »
Instead of "man turns to baking to help those in need", it should say "man turns to baking to help those in knead".
F7OSRS on April 12nd, 2017 at 05:39 UTC »
He must be slicing some onions. I'm not crying.