Today was the fourth annual Pie Contest at the Everence FCU. In my opinion it gets better every year and it only makes sense. A person learns from one time to the next what worked and what needs to be changed. Today was very much a local down home atmosphere among the crowd. Most of the older women who were winners in previous Pie Contests sat back and didn't enter the contest. Bless their hearts for this gave other pie bakers a chance to win first, second or third place in the three categories.
Getting ready. Last year was the coldest windiest day. Today it was windy with a 26 mph wind, but it was just right temperature wise.
Everence workers.
Ina looking up and Brian looking down. I think Brian's wife is a niece to Ina's husband.
Standing neat and straight in the backside.
I can almost see Anna's mind spinning over a pie.
And some more...
This photo pretty well describes the feel of the day.
Freeman Byler has been a cancer survivor for twenty years more or less.
Some more pies arriving.
The men who were judges. Sam Peachey from Big Olaf, later he dishes out Big Olaf ice cream to eat with the pies. Tim Miller from Miller's Furniture Store and Todd Emrich from Yoder's Restaurant. Todd's mother-in-law Amanda Yoder was the founder of the famous pies at the restaurant.
I was born and raised on pie, for we could eat pie twice a day. Baking pie was Mom's way of stretching fruit. One year I kept record of how many pies she baked and what kind of pies. That specific year there were thirteen of under one roof and so she ended up baking 600 pies. The two main pies were pumpkin pie made with Butternut Squash. She liked the texture of the Butternut better than that of pumpkin. All it took to make a squash pie into a pumpkin was add the right spices. We always raised our own squash and stored them in the Root Cellar and late in the winter she would can them, less they rot. Raisin pie came in second, because a 20 pound box of raisins were cheap.
It is eleven o'clock and time to get started. The pie are all in and numbered and ready to be tasted. Pat Staley is the other judge.
Steve Marner's wife (Can't think of her name) and Chris Betty are the pie cutters. Kjell is opening the whatever...
The backside of cutting the pie. Each judge got only a small sliver of pie. After all many slivers add up.
Hanging over the rail is always a good spot to observe because you've got a "Bird's Eye View".
Ina and Vernon Beachy from up home.
There simply wasn't enough seating, there never is at the Pie Contest.
Ada Lambright claiming her prizes.
Fannie Kay Yoder was a winner.
Sister-in-laws. Sarah married Carol's brother Tim, who was one of the judges.
I was mostly in the backside shooting photos from both ends, left and right.
Sarah was talked into baking a pie and entering it, although she almost never bakes a pie. Imagine her surprise when she was a winner.
Verna Esh won a prize or two.
Laura Miller Beiler won first place in the cream pies with her Coconut Cream pie.
Esther Overholt was a winner.
Praying the blessing over the food. I figured if anyone saw me take this shot was peeping.
Lining up for the pie and ice cream. Another line had formed for the Chili. This way the food lines moved fast.
Sam Peachey dished out the Big Olaf ice cream.
Amanda Hostetler from Martinsburg won the bike from the raffle. Her Grandma Clara congratulates her win.
Samuel won the lunch bag.
Simon Lengacher's name was drawn for Sherry Gore's pie book. I doubt Simon will bake pies, but he has a wife, daughters, grand daughters and great-grand-daughters.
I got to eat a piece of Ground Cherry pie. It tasted just like my Grandmother used to make. Grandma would carry her extra Ground Cherries to our home and Mom would bake these pies too.
