Minneapolis community mourns loss of Señora Fanni, owner of Latino grocery store

A Minneapolis community is mourning the loss of a beloved woman who owned a Latino grocery store in the Standish-Ericsson community.

If you took a trip to Fanni’s Mini Market, you might’ve run into owner Fanni Yadaycela herself.

“She was very loved by the community and the Ecuadorian community that knew her,” said Luis Salto, Fanni’s son.

Besides bringing her personality, Fanni filled her store with Ecuadorian food, bringing a piece of home to Minneapolis. Last year, the woman referred to as Señora Fanni opened the Latino market’s doors and her arms to the Standish-Ericsson community.

“She was a very charismatic person. She would always talk with people who came into the store and help them,” Veronica Salto, Fanni’s daughter, said in Spanish. “These flowers are a result of that.”

The community brought bushels of flowers into the market to honor the life of Señora Fanni after she died from cancer.

“We miss her a lot already, and it’s only been a few days. I’m very thankful for the community that has responded,” Luis said.

Their next-door neighbor, “Burritos El Patron,” pitched in by holding a fundraiser to help the family with medical and funeral bills.

“That family is like my second family,” said Javier Perez, owner of Burritos El Patron. “I spent almost 12 hours a day with their mom at work.”

Perez, who often shared coffee or lunch with his neighbor, said Señora Fanni brought life into the market.

Now, the store is quiet.

“It’s different,” Perez said. “It’s very sad because she’s not here.”

Fanni’s three kids are taking over the mini market, but their mother’s name will remain on the door — and forever in their hearts.

“[The store] is my second home because it’s where my mom comes from,” said daughter Kayla Sarmiento-Yadaycela.

Luis said, “We’re taking it one day at a time. It’s a very difficult situation to lose a mother.”

Kayla, the youngest in the family, said her mother’s dream was for her was to finish school. She currently attends the U of M and is hoping to graduate to make her mom proud.

The family has established a fundraiser to cover medical bills and expenses for their mom.