Valda Stadler (née Plarre) 1920 – 2015

Valda Stadler (née Plarre), the youngest of Otto Plarre’s children sadly passed away at home on 16.2.15 at the age of 94. Otto was the founder of Plarre Cakes which of course is now known as Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses.

Valda, wife of Roy Stadler (who also worked at the Plarre’s Cakes family business) and younger sister to Ray & Frieda, and was a fun-loving, caring and cheerful mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Her enthusiasm, energy and smile will be missed and forever remembered.

Valda was born to Otto & Liesl Plarre on 16th May,1920. In fact, she was born above the family’s cake shop in Moonee Ponds, then Plarre’s Cakes, just down the street from the current Ferguson Plarre shop in Puckle St.

Valda, Ray and Frieda were all a tremendous help to their mother and father in the shop, and together they lived and worked to build a business that would one day see the family serving cakes to the Queen of England and even the President of the United States.

Valda attended Penleigh College, in Moonee Ponds. As you would expect for a girl who lived in a family cake shop, she was a very popular pupil. Valda was even known to raid the chocolate eclairs before school and barter them to the boarders for their gingernut biscuits.

One lovely story from Valda’s youth involved her work as a messenger for Otto & Liesl. Valda would relay information between her mother in the shop and her father in the bakehouse at the rear of their property. Whenever Valda delivered a message, she would hold out her hand to her father Otto, and as quick as lightning, Otto would pipe a beautiful swan of chocolate buttercream on to her hand, which she would then lick from her fingers all the way back to the shop.

Valda will be missed dearly by the Plarre family but her memory lives on in her wonderful children, grand and great grand children. May she rest in peace.