Alice Vesecky, who ran a beloved Czechoslovakian bakery in Berwyn with her husband for decades, died Wednesday in St. Anthony Hospital in Michigan City, Ind. A resident of Berwyn and New Buffalo, Mich., she was 87.
Mrs. Vesecky got into the bakery business after marrying her husband, James Sr., whose father opened the Vesecky Bakery about 90 years ago in Chicago. For most of their 67 years of marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Vesecky devoted themselves to the business, with Mrs. Vesecky serving as the sales manager and her husband as the chief baker.
With Alice and James Vesecky at the helm, the bakery quickly became a must-stop for Berwyn area residents, many of whom were willing to wait in long lines for their breads, cakes, pastries and pies. After several favorable reviews in local newspapers, the customer base swelled even more. A customer once told the Tribune that she waited three hours for baked goods. “But what are you going to do?” the customer said. “You can’t go home empty-handed.”
The bakery, which moved from Chicago to Berwyn in the 1920s and is now at 6634 W. Cermak Rd., specializes in traditional Czechoslovakian treats such as houska–a rich, soft egg bread full of juicy raisins–and tiny round kolacky treats, with sweet fillings and soft dough.
Until James Vesecky turned over the business to his son several years ago, Mrs. Vesecky was in charge of managing the staff. Her motto was simple: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
“She was tough–demanding but honest and hard-working,” said her son, James. “She was very interested in quality. She was on our backs all the time to make sure everything was right.”
In addition to her husband and son, Mrs. Vesecky is survived by four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. A funeral service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Svec & Sons Funeral Home, 6227 W. Cermak Rd., Berwyn.