Staff photo New Seifert-Bianchi American Legion Post 132 club manager Cindy Loftus works in the kitchen, one of her many duties. She has cooked in a variety of venues across the country.

NEW ULM — Seifert-Bianchi American Legion Post 132’s new club manager since June comes loves to cook, has lived in many places including the south and comes from a military-minded family.

“My father, two of my brothers, my older sister and myself served in the military,” she said while cooking in the legion club kitchen.

“I like to cook everything. You could say I grew up in a restaurant all over the country starting in Texas, Louisiana, and Wisconsin,” said Loftus. “I worked in a lot of restaurants and bars. I like cooking Cajun food including gumbo, red beans and rice. I’d like to introduce people here to it, while trying to make money for the club.”

Loftus has worked at American Legion clubs in Redwood Falls and Belview and bar/restaurants in Clements and Morgan and done office work.

She feels her experience is well-suited to the club manager job that includes training and managing people, being in charge of the club, ordering food, beer, liquor, supplies, booking bands and parties, making food for parties, helping the ladies auxiliaries and doing office and paperwork.

“It’s a lot of variety which is what I love about it. I have lots of experience training and managing people too,” she said.

She was a Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport window washer too.

“That was actually a lot of fun. We used a chair lift inside and scissor lift outside,” she said.

Born in St. Paul, she was an Apple Valley High School graduate, joined the U.S. Marines in 1984 after high school but received an honorable, medical discharge during basic training because she was pregnant.

Loftus has lived in Redwood Falls since 2001. She has two daughters, 14 grandchildren and two dogs.

“I love camping, kayaking and anything in the water. I love the Gulf of Mexico and Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi,” she said.

The New Ulm American Legion Club will feature broasted chicken 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday. The Concord Singers will perform from 3 to 5:45 p.m. followed by the band Revline until 9 p.m.