OUR STORY Skee's Story
(as told to Lois by Skee)
Julius "Skee" Mass was born and raised in NE Brainerd with his parents and sister, Phyllis. His chldhood days were spent enjoying the outdoors, fishing, hunting and hanging out with his "good buddies". Those were close friendships that continued through high school and beyond. Uncle Sam called his name in 1958 and he spent his military years in Germany. After his disharge, he was hired at Polatch Paper Mill in Brainerd, which was his career for 41 years until his retirement.
He was married to Sharon in 1964 and they were blessed with 3 children, Greg, and twins Mike and Shelly. The family enjoyed many camping adventures together, as well as fishing and hunting. In 2006 Sharon passed away from brain cancer. Single life was difficult for Skee. He was involved in a Ham radio club which helped with his loneliness.
2010 was a year of special surprises. God had a plan for Skee and Lois to meet at Lakewood Church in Baxter. It was His plan for them to find love again. We dated a year and were married on a beautiful, fall day, in our yard with our grown chldren. After a brief honeyoon to the North Shore, every day life began for us. Skee was retired and Lois was still cooking at Edgewood Vista, an assited living facility. There were many adjustments since we both had lived single lives for many years and were very independent. We bought an RV and enjoyed camping as often as we could. The North Shore was our favorite place to camp, hiking the trails and walking the beaches of Lake Superior.
In 2015 we were working at Costco in Baxter serving food samples to shoppers. It was enjoyable meeting people and promoting the product samples. We worked 2-3 days a week, which was difficult for Skee being on his feet for a 6 hr. shift.
One day at Costco Lois met a man who owned a bakery in Little Falls, MN. He had a flat-bed shpping cart full of baking supplies. He stopped at her product sample booth and they began chatting about bread. She told hm about the bread she makes, milling the grain into fresh, chemical free flour. He told her there is nothing like that bread available to people and she should market it. He encouraged her to check with the farmers markets in our area and start from there. We got the required licenses and proceeded wth the plans.
We both quit Costco since the bread business kept us busy as we sold at 2 farmers markets each week.Skee is very involved in Lois' Breads, slicing, and packaging as well as the heavy lifting of the 50# bags of wheat and loading product for the markets. He is my "taste tester" for the fresh-out-of-the oven bread and is the final word on the flavor and texture of the breads.
Neither of us would have believed our lives would take this turn with this business. All the years Lois made this bread for her family since 1976, never thinking one day she would be selling it. We know God has had His hands in this adventure, opening doors for us and giving us opportunity for sales.
Some one asked Lois how long does she plan to do this. Her goal is to have these healthy products, not just bread, but cookies and other goodies, of course all made wth whole wheat flour, as long as her health and energy holds up. She wants the opportunity to have these available for people to experience the benefits of the wonderful nutrients in her products, and to taste a flavor they have never had in bread before.
FYI.....The nickname of "Skee" is related to a comic strip character, Skeesic, who had cowlicks in his hair, and Skee Mass had the same problem.
OUR STORY
Lois' Story
Where does my story begin anyway ? Maybe with "once upon a time." At this point in my life, at 78 years "young," looking back is quite a feat. We can all look back at our younger years and see the twists and turns that brought us to the place we are at presently. As a child, growing up on a farm in eastern Iowa, I never would have believed I would be spendinga large portion of my life in Minnesota. Our family enjoyed vacations at a resort near Hackensack, Minnesota, where the call of the loons and the white birch trees created a love and longing in my heart for this part of the country, "God's country " as it is often called. It never occurred to me then that I would be here permanently.
I am amazed how God has directed my steps over all these years, opening doors and closing doors to bring me to this place. Even in high school, He knew how I would need certain classes that would prepare me for the road ahead. My artistic "genes" were quite noticeable, even in first grade. I loved drawing and doodling. My brother, David, was concerned about me, especially how I struggled with math, but I cared more about art. He shared his concern with our mother and told her, "Lois will never get anywhere with art. She needs help with math." As it turned out, my painting career was quite profitable. I helped pay for our son,John's, college education with my watercolor paintings, teaching classes, even murals in the Pequot Lakes area. My "claim to fame" is the mural I painted at the Americinn Motel near Jenkins, MN. It is an 60 ft. wrap-around mural in the swimming pool area. That project opened the door for many more murals in cabins and homes in the lakes area. The pictures below are some of my art work I've done over the years.
I always had wanted to be a nurse, even in my early childhood. I struggled with math and science classes in high school and knew those would be important in a nursing career. I focused on secretary related classes which, as it turned out, were very valuable in later business ventures. After high school I enrolled in St. Lukes School of Practical Nursing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and became an LPN. I loved caring for the patients and had found my "niche" in life. My first nursing job in 1963 was at Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis, working in OB & Newborn Nursery. It was such a thrill for me in 1965 when my niece, Rebecca, was born there and I got to care for her in her first minutes of life. Eventually, in 1966, my roommate and I felt a need for a change of scenery, and that change happened "west" in Colorado. Growing up in flatland Iowa, and never seeing mountains before, the scenery was "mild blowing." We found nursing jobs in Englewood at Swedish Hospital (no connection to Minneapolis hospital) where I began working in Pediatrics and enjoyed it so much. I met my first husband, Charlie Caughlan, through the parents of a patient and we were married in 1968. I loved Colorado, spending time in the mountains hiking, camping, fishing and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Our son, John, was born in 1971, the joy and delight of our lives, and is to this day. He and his wife have 2 precious kiddos and live near St. Cloud, MN. Call it "mid-life crisis"or whatever,, but Charlie became dissatisfied with the rat-race of city life in Denver, where he had lived all his life. We had vacationed in Minnesota where my family was at that time, and the fishing bug got him. He wanted to buy a resort and move here, thinking he would be able to fish whenever he so desired. It didn't happen! He had no idea what small-town-living was about whereas I had grown up in it and couldn't wait to leave it. We found a resort, Birchdale Villas on Bertha Lake near Pequot Lakes, MN and moved there in 1979. We had no idea what to expect with resort life.. We had 11 cabins. I can't begin to describe the work involved with running a place of that size without much in the way of outside help. My niece, Rebecca, spent several summers with us, helping with some of the resort duties. Resort life was quite stressful for us and we found we were burning-out after a few years. We sold the cabins as a "cluster development" where the buyers owned the cabin and a small portion of property around it. We kept our home and continued to live there until 2003, when our marriage ended in divorce after 34 years. Life goes on and you do the best that you can. God helped me through that time and I grew emotionally and spiritually as never before. My artist friends told me that my paintings had a different "feel" about them at that time, more impressive, beautiful and sales were very good at art shows. I eventually moved to Brainerd for a "fresh start" and worked at Edgewood Vista, an assisted living facility, as a cook. I enjoyed the residents and staff. My life was satisfying and busy, teaching watercolor painting classes at nursing homes and the public. I had been divorced for 8 years in 2010 when God revealed a very special plan for my life. Enter Julius Mass!!!!
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Part of the mural in the pool area at the Americinn Motel, Jenkins, MN. It totals 60 feet, a continuous lake scene, wrapped around the entire room.
Some of Lois's art.