Call Her “Mom”

Betty and Gene Burgett Camp with a Family of Forty

“It looks like the Oklahoma Land Rush, declares Kathie Swift, the Iowa State Fair marketing director. “They start lining up days early, getting in position for when the gates finally open.”

Swift isn’t talking about teenagers waiting in line for tickets to see Britney Spears. For the most part, she’s talking about their grandparents.
Every year, several days before the state fair opens for camping, scores of
vans, RV’s, trailers and motor homes park queue outside the campground gates. Unlike the Oklahomans of 1889, these folks gain no advantage by arriving early. All the choice camp sites have been reserved, for months, years, even decades. These Iowa Sooners have already staked their claims. “We come early because there is no where else we would rather be,” explains Betty Burgett of Lucas County.

Betty and husband Gene have been camping for the length of every State Fair for 53 years. All five of their married children also plan their vacations around the fair. “There are 36 in my immediate family here and 4 extras, like Sheila Sivil whose son is married to my daughter. So, I guess there are 40 of us, a small army.” Betty admitted.

Altogether last summer the Burgett campsite included: ten trailers; 15 cell phones; three balanced tables; a food tent that seated 50; a deep freezer; three refrigerators; a double sink with a hot water heater; two ovens; a four-burner gas stove; and a flat top grill big enough to fry eight pounds of bacon at a time.

Setting up camp for this army, on a steep hill, requires military precision. First a 24 foot goose neck trailer is unloaded with camping basics: mess tent, refrigerators, picnic tables, hot water heaters, freezers. Then the trailers must be set up, in precise order, and leveled on the hill. “It’s a giant jig saw puzzle, there is only one possible order to fit everything, so arrivals must be coordinated,” explained Betty.

All of her children and grandchildren camp, together, for the duration of the Fair,
and then some. Almost nothing interferes with this family outing. Betty proudly related how one daughter-in-law came last year despite serious back surgery. Betty’s mother came every year until she died at age 86, and her father still camped here at age 97. In 1972, daughter Connie left her camper and went to a Des Moines hospital. Granddaughter Cami was born on a Wednesday that year and by Friday Cami and Connie were back camping.

The Burgett camp shelters four sets of four generations, descending from Betty and Gene: five children; five spouses; 13 grand children, plus a place is always set for Joey Dean Smith who was stilllborn in 1983; and seven great grandchildren. Burgett family ritual dictates that when a child marries, they get their own trailer for the Fair.

Weddings and the fair also bring the family together for a butchering ritual. Daughter Bonnie and her husband Bruce Smith own a walk-in cooler big enough to hold four sides of beef, and a complete butchering facility. Thirty family members have specific jobs preparing food for the campground. The Burgetts make brats and sausage, cut sides of beef and pork, cure hams and bacon. In short, they prepare the things that other campers simply buy at the supermarket. It takes a lot of food to feed 40 plus people for 2 weeks. “We live off the land, everything we eat here, except dairy products, we grew or raised,” declared Betty.

For last year’s fair, the Burgetts butchered five hogs and a cow, cured their own hams and rolled our own beef roasts. Their menus defined homegrown, roots cooking at its best. A typical dinner featured roast beef, creamed peas, scalloped cabbage, cucumber salad, baked beans, fresh corn on the cob, green beans, three kinds of home made breads, melons, peaches, plus sliced tomatoes, three home made pies, and three other desserts.

As if preparing three wholesome meals a day for 40 people isn’t enough work, the Burgett’s invite sundry others to the spread. “At 5 o’clock on Sundays, we feed the Fair workers, we’re having fried chicken this week, so there will be a big turnout,” she confided last year.

Betty is a campground legend. As we drove around the temporary city of 4000, numerous employees waved and called her “Mom.” She involves people in many ways, “Once I sold out a newspaper carriers’ papers, just to prove to him that it was worth his while, coming up to the campground. After that, he came back every day, for breakfast,” she laughed.

As soon as Betty and Gene get up, at 5 a.m., they start inviting people in for coffee. “If anyone calls me Mom, or Grandma, I will feed them,” she admits. Soon after coffee, the breakfasts begin in earnest with home cured bacon, home made sausage, farm fresh eggs, biscuits, pancakes and fried breads.

Betty proselytizes campers with religious fervor. Sheila Sivil says she recruited half of Lucas County. Betty admits to less, “I have instigated over 100 families to come camp at the fair.”

The Burgett army first bivouacked out of necessity. Half a century ago, fairground camping was free and that fit the budget for a young farm couple with 4 young children. “No matter how poor we were, since then we always found money for the fair.”

Betty believes the fair experience has kept the family unusually close. All 36 children and grandchildren still live within 20 minutes of each other, and all but son Don live within five miles. “Connie tried to move away once, to Minnesota, but that only lasted one year,” Betty qualified.

The family gets involved in the Fair. Three generations have shown sheep, hogs and horses. Betty and nine other family members work at the Family Center. Others keep busy doing good deeds. After shuttle service to the campground ends, the Burgett teenagers often push wheelchairs up the hill. Astonishingly, all this family togetherness is friction free. “I have never heard one argument in the 25 plus years I remember being here,” said 31 year old grandson Todd Burgett.

Asked how any family could be so close and yet so easy going, Todd replied, pointing to Betty and Gene, “Easy answer, those two people.”

Todd’s emphasis was a point of respect. yet, there is something mystically anachronistic about this family. The last half century has not been kind to Iowa farmers like the Burgetts. Betty worked at the Chariton Farmers Co-Op for 25 to help make ends meet. Two of the Burgetts’ son own farms, but they both have taken second jobs to support them. Yet, by sheer force of personality, Betty and Gene seem to will that, within the friendly confines of the campground, a kinder, gentler history of America farm life can be rewritten, simply by setting an extra place at the table. In the Burgetts’ camp, food, faith and family overcome all obstacles.

“My parents brought me to the Fair in a horse wagon, from Chariton. In 1948 this campground was all tents. Only one shower house has been here as long as I have. Our kids used to play with Tonka toys in a ditch over there. Now it’s filled in and terraced with campsites. Our shade is gone with the wind, ( of a 1999 storm) so we bring awnings now,” Betty recalled.

Shower houses, electricity and sewers are all innovations during the Burgetts’ run. They credit former Fair CEO Marion Lucas. “He was a camper himself, so he understood,” Betty acknowledged.

The family has changed its own camping style. Todd recalled at least six upgrades in his family’s camper-trailers. The important thing’s have not changed. “In 53 years we have never had anything stolen, never. It’s absolutely safe here,” claimed Betty proudly.

Personal history makes Betty reflective, and appreciative. “How many people are fortunate enough to live in Iowa?,” she asked. “The best thing of all, is to be here early and to watch it all come together and then to stay late for the sad good-byes. I always think, gee, I hope everyone makes it back next year,” she confided.

What else would you expect from the woman everyone calls “Mom?”

Good Food at the Fair
Some Fair’s food concessions bring once-a-year tasting opportunities. For instance, this year, the corn dog will have a dozen competitors in the food-on-a-stick category: dill pickles; pork chops; cheese; Cajun chicken; German sausage; Chinese beef; veggie hot dogs; fried pickles; chocolate cheese cake; hot bologna; honey; and chocolate covered bananas.
Those who prefer their food off the stick can find concessions that are miles away
from the typical junk food of yesteryear. In the Agriculture Building, Salad Bowl will offer personalized wraps with 20 fresh toppings and salad dressings like orange balsamic. Her BLT’s will be made with Roma tomatoes so they don’t get soggy.
Applishus’ four locations will sell fresh cut apple wedges with melted caramel and apple slushes with 100% juice, plus apple pastries and cookies.
The Iowa Lamb Producers will feature leg of lamb sandwiches and other Iowa
lamb products at their concession in front of the Sheep Barn.
Turkey Time, on the Triangle, will have fresh strawberry shortcake and turkey.

Camping
If you want to camp at the Fair you must: 1.) Write a letter of intent by May 1,
requesting a full time spot, for the following year, to POB 57130, Des Moines, IA, 50317-0003. 2.) By May 15 you will receive forms from the Fair, asking about the size of your camper and your personal requirements. Return them soon as possible, assignments will be granted in order of postmark.
Although camp sites for the full fair sell out, short term campers are accommodated.
Rarely is anyone turned away, particularly after the first weekend and if your camper is self contained. Full fair camp sites rent for $175 with electricity and water, $210 with
sewer added. $140 without any utilities.

Betty Burgett’s Cucumber Salad
1 small package lemon Jello
2 tbs. vinegar
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped cucumbers
1 tbs. chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Add vinegar to Jello and let Jello begin to set, whip till fluffy. Add remaining
ingredients.

Sheila Sivil’s Scalloped Cabbage
1 large head cabbage
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
dash salt

Shred the cabbage, bring to boil in water and drain. Add cabbage to 9 x13 pan. Make a
white sauce with melted butter by stirring in flour and salt till pasty, then slowly add milk,
stirring until thick. Spread over cabbage and bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

This story was originally published in The Iowan