Southwest USA Genealogy & History

The Yuma, Arizona County Fair comes only once a year… it is anticipated by many thousands of local residents.  Several (okay… many several) years ago, one event that was a must do by my father was to have a slice of lemon pie. 

My mother was not a pie baker, and lemon was her least favorite flavor of pie. My dad and I had about the same taste for everything to do with food.  The first booth we hit after paying the fair entrance fee was the Yuma Homemakers Club Pie booth.  The recipe has finally been released and was published in the Yuma County Homesteaders 1978-1952

The Lemon and Fruit Pie Recipes

Pie Crust

3 c flour (sifted)

1 ¼ cup shortening

1 tsp salt

1 egg - well beaten

5 Tbls ice water

1 Tbs vinegar

Mix flour, shortening, salt - add water and vinegar.

Fruit Pies

Each pie contains approximately 3 cups filling. Measure from bucket 12 cups filling into large bowl.  Add lemon juice and sugar to taste to cherry and apricot.  

Cinnamon may be added to apple.   Add one tablespoon BUTTER, cut into bits, per pie.  

One pound of butter makes 32 pies.

Lemon Pie Set Ups
3 c sugar
¾ cup cornstarch
1-teaspoon salt
Put in large baggie and tie.
Meringue
¾ c sugar
Put in small baggie and tie.
Lemon
1 cup lemon juice
3 Tbs grated lemon rind
1 tsp lemon extract
Put wet ingredients in baggie in cup and tie.

Lemon pie set ups, wet and dry, must be frozen until time to use.

Fruit pies and dry lemon set-ups are made in January and February at the Newcomer Building.  Pies are immediately taken to Southwest Meat Co. for freezing and storage until fair time. Dry lemon set-ups to someone's freezer.

Wet ingredients for lemon pies should be done in November early December while acid high in lemons.  Frozen in a home freezer until fair time.

Fruit pies are transferred from Southwest Meat Co to Nancy Jane Bakery each day beginning the day before fair opens.  Pies are baked and ready to be taken to fair grounds around 9:00 a.m.

Pies for Sunday fair may be baked with Saturday Pies.  

Arrangements for baking pies must be made with Buddy Goldsboro, Manager, Nancy Jane Bakery.  Baker paid or given gratuity-CHECK ON THIS.  Decide each fair day how many of each pie to be baked next day leave note in door of bakery after booth closes at night.
Lemon pies made each day of fair at the booth. Shells are baked a week ahead of time and refrozen so they are ready to use.

By Nellie Mae Montgomery, 1987

This article appears in the Yuma Mesa Homesteader's 1948-1952 

Yuma Mesa Homesteaders 1948 and 1952

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of those women who came to Yuma in 1948 with their husbands and families to homestead land on what is known as the Yuma Mesa.  The hardships of pioneer life and living many miles from downtown Yuma without today's benefits of television and radio compelled these resolute women to organize a social group for the purposes of entertainment and education as well as a more than occasional get-together including the husbands and children.  The club was appropriately named the Yuma Mesa Homesteader Club.

In 1952 the Yuma Mesa Irrigation District began delivering water into the second half of a newly built canal system to the central and western parts of the Yuma Mesa and another group of families arrived to settle the rest of the land on the Yuma Mesa.  The name of the club was changed shortly thereafter to the Yuma Mesa Homemaker's Club.  Of the original club members from these two groups, sixteen remain active in the club.  Other members now include daughters and daughter-in-laws of the original charter members as well as women whose husbands are either landowners or lessors of farmland on the Yuma Mesa.  Total membership now stands at 61.

In 1966 the club began sponsoring a queen contestant for the Miss Yuma County pageant held every year at the fairgrounds during the Yuma County Fair. Clubs and civic organizations that sponsor queen contestants are allowed to operate a food booth during the Fair as a fund raising project.  

For nineteen years the Homemaker's made and served fresh lemon meringue and fruit pies, ham and bun sandwiches, root beer floats, ice cream, lemonade, coffee, and soda pop.  In 1985 big baked potatoes with a choice of many different toppings as well as cheese and jalapeño nachos were added.  This same menu will be available again this year served from our newly painted and remodeled booth located at the west entrance of the commercial building.

Proceeds from the food booth, other than what is needed to sponsor our queen contestant, are used for scholarships for local high school graduates and donations to needy and charitable organizations here in Yuma.  Considering the very small yearly profit from the food booth, we are proud to have awarded since 1966 over $25,000.00 in scholarships.

Mrs. Tillman said she remembered they had no curtains on the windows, "So we hung our clothes on pipes for privacy."

Mrs.Didier said, "We just learned to do with what we had."

They used to look forward to the Christmas party, because it gave them a chance to get a new dress and decorate. When the children were little they would have special programs.

As the farms progressed, so did the Homemakers Club. In 1966 they sponsored their first contestant for the Yuma County Fair Pageant, Sheryl Hartman.

Several of the contestants they sponsored during the years went on to win the title of Miss Yuma County: Saundra Benjamin, 1968; Dru Ann McCain, 1970; Stephanie Feree, 1971; Cathy Shoenfeld, 1976; Bobbye Lou Sims, 1980; Debbie Daniels, 1981 also Miss Arizona; Darsi Turner, 1971 who became Miss Pima County then Miss Arizona; Shannon Wallace, 1990 and Sandy Leamons, 1991. Several won runners-up titles.

To raise funding for these, the club had a booth at the fair and sold homemade pies. "At first we baked lemon pies. I had pie dough all over the house," Paulsen said.

"We stored the pies in freezers all over the mesa and later, Sambo Jones let us store them at Southwest Meat."

Verda McCain, president for the fourth time (1962, 1990, '99 and 2000), said they all had to wear hats in the pie booth. "Once, some of the fruit pies slipped on a rack and we just dished them up as cobbler."

In 1981, the requests for pie makers were, according to a yearbook, if you are/ were to blend, bring your own pastry blender and bowl; if you are to roll, bring your won rolling pin and board.  And, bring a sack lunch. Pie and beverage provided."

The pie booth was "closed" in 1995. Resourcefulness of the members is a given factor, as the yearbooks were "bound" in wallpaper sample covers for years.

During the past years, the club had educational programs, spanning from demonstrations by Arizona Public Service, to yoga, exercise, Mexican cooking lessons, arts, crafts, plus information from the Yuma County Farm Bureau and the Extension Service.They also took trips to other cities to see productions.

The Homemakers have given scholarships and donated to numerous organizations such as 4-H, Hospice, Precious Treasures, the Yuma Regional Medical Center Foundation and others.

The Yuma Mesa Homesteaders Club 1949 "The purpose of this organization is to meet together to discuss and work our community problems and projects, to present educational and entertaining programs, and to meet socially to draw us closer together as a community"