The Billings community is mourning the loss of Stella Ziegler, the longtime proprietor of Stella's Kitchen and Bakery, who died June 17. Ziegler was known for her famous cinnamon rolls and the compassion she and her late husband, Ziggy Ziegler, showed to people in need.
Watch their story below:
Stella's Kitchen and Bakery has been a Billings staple since 1984, drawing steady crowds for its food, sweets and welcoming atmosphere.
"Cinnamon roll(s), good coffee, good friends," said Lamar Stockton, a Stella's customer.
But the Zieglers' impact extended well beyond the bakery counter.
"Her compassionate command of who she was, where she was, and how to put all that into action and make life grow is the thing that always amazed me about Stella," said Barry Beach.
Beach is a longtime friend of the Zieglers. After his initial release from prison in 2011, the couple took him in without hesitation.
"Stella turned to him and said, ' We're taking him home', and you could hear her yelling at him. He couldn't really hear because of his hearing aids," Beach said.
Beach served 30 years in prison for the 1979 murder of Kimberly Nees, a sentence that was later commuted. When his 100-year sentence was shortened, Stella stepped in.
"Stella had the compassion for the people coming out of prison to make sure that they had an opportunity at a second chance," Beach said.
The Zieglers gave Beach a home and helped him find a job, helping turn his life around.
"I'm blessed, you know, I'm really blessed and a lot of that has to do with the giftedness of having the right start," Beach said.
Their generosity left a lasting mark on Beach personally.
"To have lost both of them now, I really have lost my mom and dad," Beach said.
But he says their legacy will endure far beyond Billings.
"The success of that restaurant goes along with that name. It has a very powerful reputation throughout the state of Montana and actually beyond Montana," Beach said.
"I don't think there's anybody throughout the state of Montana who doesn't know about Stella's café," Beach said.
