Denise Sheldon Schrader met Brenda Kruger and Pat DeBaere through an organization called I.C.E.S. (International Confectioners Exploration Society) that brings people from all over the world to meet once a year. The three of them always talked about how great it would be to open a bakery together and, when Denise decided the time was right in March of this year, her two friends agreed to join her in the venture. Mama’s Dream Bakery and Deli is located on 233 N. 19th Street, Suite B. and makes two different kinds of cinnamon rolls every morning plus an assortment of muffins, cookies, bars, cheesecake and cakes fresh every morning. They also serve breakfast sandwiches plus biscuits and gravy for breakfast and many different kinds of deli and gourmet sandwich items for the lunch crowd. Mama’s dream also does cakes from wedding to birthday to everything in between.
Tell us a little about your family. – I’ve been married to my husband Mike for 18 years. He’s a conductor for the B.N.S.F. He has been an incredible support thru this project including being the only one to bring in any money this year. It’s been hard going from two incomes to just one but he has managed to do it. I also have two children and one granddaughter. Both of my kids have worked in the food industry so they have stepped in and given a helping hand when we’ve needed it. My son also works for the railroad and my daughter has just finished school to be a medical assistant. I’m very proud of both of them. My granddaughter who just turned 10 has already told me that one day the bakery would go from Mama’s Dream to Skylar’s Dream so I know she also has an interest in what I’m doing and it really makes it fun.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – Marrying my husband Mike. He’s the one who really helped me learn to be independent and to have confidence.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – Visit with my family because we don’t get a chance to do that through the week. Even if they are at the bakery working we don’t get a chance to just sit and visit.
What are you the most proud of? – The fact that we have been able to achieve our goal of getting the doors open and we have done this without going to the bank yet. Everything we have is bought and paid for.
What is the one goal you would most like to accomplish? – To make Mama’s Dream a well known name for cakes, and a place people want to come to relax and know that anything they order will be good and recommend us to their friends.
Which talent would you most like to have? – I’d like to be able to paint. Then I could paint scenes on a cake.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? – I would be healthier, due to the fact that I used to smoke I have COPD and due to a major car accident in ‘04 I have chronic pain. These two things can zap my energy sometimes and it can mess with my ability to accomplish everything I want to get done in a day.
What is your favorite movie? – Benny and Joon
What is your favorite TV show? – Bones
What is your favorite Lincoln restaurant? – Lazlo’s
If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? – Martin Luther King
What is the best way to contact you? – Come see us at 19th & Q St, Call us at 402-261-4863 or on the web at http://www.mamas-dream.com/