— Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Helen Coleman Pete Lana and Rebecca Mines are pictured with Tod Sonsalla, who was holding Millie Sonsalla, who was 3 then. It was April 7, 2022, the day Pete's started serving those remarkable donuts.

There was love in those donuts.

I’m sure of it.

If you ever met Pete, you would know.

The humble man who made beautiful donuts died this week, just when he was about to return from a break. Just as he was about to crank up his commercial mixer and make some more magic.

Pete opened his little donut shop across the street from the Daily-Freeman Journal on a Thursday. It was April 7, 2022. I remember it well because I had just taken over as interim editor — the first time — so I rushed over, camera in hand, to get a picture of some of his first customers.

The camera’s battery was dead.

I rushed back over to the office and grabbed Helen Coleman, forcing her to take a photo with her cell phone.

In case you don’t know, I refuse to carry a cell most days.

But, back to Pete.

There was his partner, Rebecca Mines, talking with Tod Sonsalla, who was holding Millie Sonsalla, who was 3 then.

Rebecca was explaining that they were already out of donuts. It was still morning.

There were two reasons.

The first reason was that Pete’s Donuts was a hit from the get-go. Sonsalla learned that day — like so many other loyal customers — to order ahead of time, which he did.

The second reason was that on that opening day Pete’s commercial mixer had broken down. So he cranked up the kind of mixer most of us have at home and made as many donuts as he could.

He and I bonded over those technical glitches.

No matter that he got the commercial mixer up and running, it could never be enough. His donuts were that good. His apple fritters were the best I’ve ever had.

I swear, there was a secret to those donuts that Pete carried in his soul.

That secret?

Love.

Jane Curtis is interim editor of the Daily Freeman-Journal.