The Baker’s Dozen

The Baker’s Dozen

Beginning in 1974, a group of United Church Women (U.C.W.) met weekly for a six- to eight-week period each

fall, winter and spring season for the purpose of making meat pies and freezing them to have for sale at

church functions, for Session dinners at the church, for distribution to the Rotholme Family Shelter (Mission

Services of London), and for giving to ill and bereaved church members. This group Met United members

called themselves The Baker’s Dozen. A history of their program’s success in its first 22 years of operation and

gift-giving is well written in Met United’s On This Corner…1896~1996 published record.

Since 1996 through 2014, the Baker’s Dozen continued to make this program a reality. After founding member

and organizer Blanche Weber retired, Debbie Black took over, followed by Marjorie Frankel until the

program’s end in 2014. Members would meet every Wednesday morning at the church to make pies. Each

person would make one dozen pies (limit per person). All pies were then stored in the large white freezer on

the landing leading to the Sunday School hall beneath the Sanctuary. Pies were sold at big events, including

the annual Yuletide Fair each November.

In her April 2003 journal, Elaine Fisher noted that Blanche Weber and Margaret Blair and Elaine would

regularly travel to Lucan’s Darling Meat Market and Grocery store to pick up pre-ordered and pre-packaged

meat for the meat pies. They would return to the church, unpack the meat, and put it into the freezer in

readiness for The Baker’s Dozen on Wednesday mornings. According to Elaine, “These trips were always such

a joy for us.” Oftentimes, members would meet at Evelyn Gosnell’s farm, at Blanche Weber’s place, and at

June Bond’s place, for fun and casual conversation. London City Hall staff would come from across the street

on their breaks on Wednesdays to buy the meat pies, either fresh or frozen.

The Baker’s Dozen included countless church members, some of whom were: Blanche Weber, Elaine Fisher,

Ruth Boyd, Audrey Boyd, Ruth Mogenson, Jane DeKay, Gerree Guest, Charlene Hart Foley, Dorothea Read,

Gladys Swartz, Mary Ann Brady, Marie Harrison, Jeannette Lockwood, Merle Suttie, Joan Clark, Margaret Blair,

Dorothy Bullock, Julie Guest Stiles, Phyllis Ray, Evelyn Gosnell, June Bond, and Sandy Jamieson.