In 1961, Marilyn Matheus, a fresh transplant to Yuma, discovered that there was no parade celebrating Independence Day. Rather than accept this, she set out to create one. Sixty-five years later, the Melody Homes Independence Day Parade is still a favorite 4th of July attraction for Yuma locals.
“As July 4th approached, I realized there was not a parade in Yuma. I wanted something to make the day special for our children and their friends,” she explained in a 1980s letter. “With my husband’s support and encouragement, I decided that a neighborhood parade in Yuma was a good way to help instill the love of our country in our young children.”
Through the years, the Matheus family has passed on the torch to others in the community to continue the parade, though in honor of the 65th anniversary, which coincides with the United States’ 250th anniversary, Marilyn’s children have returned to Yuma to witness their mother’s legacy.
According to Chris Matheus, Marilyn’s son, his mother grew up with Independence Day parades in her hometown in Indiana and wanted to bring the tradition to Yuma.
“She’s a big patriot. Her dad was in World War I. My dad was in World War II,” Chris Matheus said.
Matheus, who was a young child when the parade first began, remembers the community festivity, with neighbors coming together to help decorate.
“She got red, white and blue crepe paper streamers and had kids decorate their bikes and wagons,” he recalled. “It just went up 25th Street and down 25th Place, probably because that was all there really was at the time, and it ended at our house. They had watermelon, and I’m sure there was beer for the dads. I remember dads throwing firecrackers and stuff like that afterwards.”
This tradition continued until the mid-’80s, when Marilyn moved away, but by then the parade had become a fixture for Yuma.
“Dorothy Warner, she was a friend of my mom’s, she then took it on and kept doing it,” he explained. “Then, as other people moved out or their kids grew up, they kind of hand it off to someone else, and then the Lutheran Church agreed, as a part of their community outreach, that they’d be the host station for it.”
The Christ Lutheran Church still hosts the parade to this day, including activities for children and refreshments. This year, the event will begin at 8 a.m. at the church, located at 2555 S. Engler Ave. The parade route will travel through 26th Way, San Marcos Drive, 25th Place and then East 25th Street, ending at the church parking lot. Participants are encouraged to bring a light snack or dish to share after the parade.
“It’s been great that other people have stepped up and have done it,” said Chris Matheus.
While he doesn’t currently have any plans to follow in his mother’s footsteps and start a new parade, he does believe that it’s a worthwhile venture that anyone could do.
“I’m sure we’ve kicked it around over the years,” he said, noting that his current home of Los Angeles was perhaps a bit large to start something, though he did add that “no place is too big an area if you organize a neighborhood thing.”
Chris Matheus hopes that events like this continue to bring people together in the community, which was always the goal of the original parade all those years ago.
“It’s a good way for them to meet other neighbors and that sort of thing,” he said. “People that live in the neighborhood come out, pull up their lawn chair and wave to people, so you’re seeing your neighbors.”