A local bakery that's been a sweet treasure to the community and a labor of love for its owner for almost 19 years is the latest victim of the August 10 derecho and its aftermath, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Jules Bakery at 3201 Armar Dr. in Marion has been closed since the storm, and although there were intentions to find a new owner and operator to carry on the business in a seamless transition, the derecho happened and now Juli "Jules" Hardin will be stepping away and not reopening. In a farewell post on Facebook, Jules had a lot to say, noting the passion she had for the business when she opened after 9/11 and the difficult decision to close permanently after the challenging year of 2020.

Her business survived the floods of 2008 and 2016, as well as her own cancer scare in 2015. Yet, ironically, she says 2020 was the year that did her in, noting that August 10 was also her birthday!

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Jules did first announce her intention to step away back in 2019 and was looking for a new buyer. It appears the "massive damage" she says occurred from the derecho was too much for her to leave it in the hands of someone else to run it up to the standards she hoped, so this may be the end of Jules' Bakery in Marion as we know it. We wish Juli "Jules" Hardin the best in her future endeavors, her trip to Mexico and her volunteer efforts.

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