Retired Fountain Hills resident Jerri Cyr had many accomplishments in her 90-year life – notably the owner of a 160 acre sand and gravel mine, neighboring McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Plant in Mesa. She also anchored the largest privately/woman-owned concrete company in Arizona, employing some 440 individuals when sold.
She was the life partner of Eddie Cyr, (deceased in 2003 at age 70). He was often referred to as a “maverick” in the custom crushing, sand and gravel industries. Together they formed and operated 17 crushing spreads throughout the state, dropping weekly payroll and parts by airplane and building the major highways that you travel on today.
They trained their two daughters, Mary Elaine Cyr Reed and Therese Ann Cyr Sanders, their business skills from the ground up to complex negotiations of a final sale.
Many of the businesses they built, starting in 1948 were Cyr Sand & Gravel, Cyr Welding and Cyr & Evans Contracting, all of which were in Winslow, Ariz. In 1954 they relocated to Tempe and branched out into the Counties of Cochise, Pinal and Maricopa.
They helped build the infrastructure of Fry, now known as Sierra Vista and surrounding military base, Fort Huachuca. Supplying concrete, aggregate materials and asphalt, Sierra Ready Mix & Materials Co. continued over 42 years as a respected and successful enterprise. Desert Concrete Company was also acquired along with 131 acres of quarry reserves and both companies were later sold to United Metro in December of l996 with a 20 year mining lease.
On the 160-acre quarry mentioned above, a woman-owned minority entity was created and named Asphalt, Mining & Concrete Co. (AMCON) to furnish materials for the Central Arizona Project (CAP Canal). It was sold in 1984 to the largest slag producer in the United States and operated under a mining lease until sold in 1997 to Pioneer Concrete of America, Inc., anchored in Australia. The mining operations continue today, with estimated reserves that will outlive the family originators.
Other fully operational businesses developed by the family were Tempe Equipment Company; Mesa Paving Co.; Roadrunner Equipment Co.; Arizona Crushing Co.; Cashway Concrete & Materials; Desert Trucking; and Cashway Mini Warehouses, the latter of which continues today.
In March of 1989 Eddie Cyr, a self-proclaimed “workaholic” built two monuments dedicated to the mining industry in Arizona, titled “The Wheel of Progress.” He bought the wheels at an auction. They were originally built in 1905 by Ingersoll Rand for the Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co. in Miami, Ariz. The antique wheel itself ran a steam driven flywheel for a 150 ton air compressor.
The wheel stands 28 feet high, with a circumference of 62.8 feet. In its frame it weighs a whopping 75,000 pounds! It is driven by a 3-horse motor, geared down to turn 2.2 RPM. There are red, white and blue tube lights mounted in the outside circle, a gesture of gratitude to our country’s military, who keep us free. One is located at the Treasure Chest Granite Pit at 2775 E. Canyon Street, in Apache Junction and the other is at Cashway Mini Warehouses, 1400 S. Highway 92, in Sierra Vista, Ariz. He was featured in June, 1989 Southwest Contractors Magazine, wherein a biographical spread gave tribute to his unique ability as a negotiator, inventor and visionary.
The family contributions since Eddie’s death in 1993 has been the gifting of 40 acres to the City of Phoenix at 91st Avenue and the Salt River for a riparian habitat and 13 acres, plus aggregate stockpiles to the City of Sierra Vista for a dedicated Cyr Center Park, both in 2001.
In 2008 to honor her heritage and beginnings of her marriage to her beloved, Jerri made a “give-back” donation to Winslow La Posada Foundation, Inc. Park Fund. Three generations of the Evans family were born and raised in Winslow. Jerri’s Grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Evans worked for the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad after moving from Kansas in the early 1900’s. He originally sailed to the USA from Whales, England with his family, as a toddler.
Born on the day after Christmas in 1926 in Winslow, Jerri was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Willis “Bob” Evans, a road and bridge building contractor and material supplier; and Elizabeth Jane “Binnie” Evans (nee McCabe), a teacher from Bazaar, Kan.; and her dear younger sister, Mary Jean Evans Finkle, a registered nurse (deceased in 2001) and her eldest daughter, Mary Elaine Cyr Reed (deceased in 2003 at the tender age of 57).
In 1971 Jerri began flying lessons; however a private pilot always commanded their airspace. In 1977 she helped her husband design and built the home in Fountain Hills. They built two different vacation homes in Pinetop, and also had a residence at Lake Mead until 1992 where they would enjoy fishing and boating.
In Pinetop, they hosting annual 4th of July barbeque parties and ripping up the slopes, lakes and golf courses on their snowmobiles during the winter. There were many trips to Alaska for king salmon fishing and they played as hard as they worked. In their heyday, Jerri won a Women’s Snowmobile Racing Championship at Yellowstone National Park.
In 1996 Jerri took part in her Winslow High School 50th Class Reunion. She loved catching up with her school comrades and keeping in touch with them. In 1999 she completed her Third Degree Reiki Certification; we represented four generations of family girls who took classes together. For many years she has followed a spiritual path and embraced her guidance and connections with the Divine.
She was an avid greeting card collector and enjoyed writing those she loved. Jerri was very active and independent up until she got the flu and succumbed to pneumonia and organ failure. She left this world a beautiful, happy and positive person.
Jerri is survived by one daughter, two granddaughters and one grandson, two great-granddaughters and one great-grandson and many much loved nieces, nephews and friends.
Her Estate will make charitable donations to Hospice of the Valley – Eckstein Center; The Arizona Heart Institute; Shriners for Children and Mayo Clinic.
Our heads are bowed in remembrance of her loving grace. The services will be private.
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