“We came out of retirement for this — it’s that important to us,” said Kathleen Elmstrand last week on the first day of the La Crosse Interstate Fair.

Kathleen, along with her husband, Dennis, started the Donut Family, a fixture at the La Crosse Interstate Fair for more than three decades.

“They started here 35 years ago,” said Vern “O.J.” Romskog, head groundskeeper and a 33-year fair veteran himself. The couple from Cambridge, Minn., who celebrate their 50th anniversary this year, have relinquished the day-to-day operation of the business to their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, even though the business name stays the same.

“We call ourselves the Donut Family because it is and always has been a totally family-run operation,” said Kathleen. Her nephew, Eric, was helping out last week.

Since 1973, Kathleen and Dennis have have handed out countless warm bite-sized doughnuts at the Interstate Fair.

“This is the first fair we ever did, so it has a very special place in our hearts. Now we’re serving the grandchildren of 4H-ers we served here back in the ’80s,” she added.

It’s likely that local doughnut lovers have a special place in their hearts for the Elmstrands as well. “We put the doughnuts in a bag and sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar and we always serve them warm. If a customer has to wait a little, that’s OK, because that’s the only way we’ll serve them,” Dennis said.

Kathleen had kind words for West Salem and the fair in general: “We love West Salem because it has such a small-town flavor and such wonderful people. They’re very loyal and committed to the fair. That’s what keeps us coming back, the loyalty and the commitment of the community. We’d just like to say thanks to everyone.”